Pre-Columbian Division

The Pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents. While technically referring to the era before Christopher Columbus, in practice the term usually includes the history of American indigenous cultures until they were conquered or significantly influenced by Europeans, even if this happened decades or even centuries after Columbus' initial landing.

Pre-Columbian is used especially often in the context of the great indigenous civilizations of the Americas, such as those of Mesoamerica (the Aztec and Maya) and the Andes (Inca, Moche, Chibcha, Cañaris).

Image Code PC01

Catalogue No.: PC01 Description: Mayan Polychrome Offering Beaker. Late Classic Period (550 - 950 AD). Impressive polychrome decorated pot with two lug-formed handles and decorated with two bands of mythical creatures with cross-hatch design to the flat base. Fired clay with polychrome. Ulua Valley, Honduran Region, Central America (ex. collection Dr Juliana Zanetti of La Balaustra Archaeologia, Bolognia, Italy). Size: 103 X 87(H)mm.

Image Code PC02

Catalogue No.: PC02 Description: Mayan Polychrome Offering Bowl. Late Classic Period (550 - 950 AD). Superb bowl decorated inside and out in polychrome featuring ball player figures with copador style hieroglyphic text. Ball playing was, in Pre-Columbian religion, a popular ritual game often played to the death. Fired clay with polychrome. Salvador, Central America (ex. collection Dr Juliana Zanetti of La Balaustra Archaeologia, Bolognia, Italy). Size: 100 X 209(dia)mm.

Image Code PC03

Catalogue No.: PC03 Description: Mayan Polychrome Offering Beaker. Late Classic Period (550 - 950 AD). Impressive polychrome decorated large beaker featuring a frieze of five fish or water gods with a moulded mid-rib and decorative lozenge design below. Fired clay with polychrome. Ulua Valley, Honduran Region, Central America (ex. collection Dr Juliana Zanetti of La Balaustra Archaeologia, Bolognia, Italy). Size: 154 X 153(H)mm.

Image Code PC04

Catalogue No.: PC04 Description: Mayan Polychrome Offering Beaker. Late Classic Period (550 - 950 AD). Impressive polychrome decorated large beaker featuring sets of entwined dancing god-like figures with painted geometric decoration on the inside. Fired clay with polychrome. Ulua Valley, Honduran Region, Central America (ex colln Dr Juliana Zanetti of La Balaustra Archaeologia, Bolognia, Italy). Size: 185 X 173mm.

Image Code PC05

Catalogue No.: PC05 Description: Mayan Polychrome Tripod Offering Vessel. Late Classic Period (550 - 950 AD). Spectacular large cylindrical offering vessel with all-over polychrome decoration, the outside body decorated with a depiction of three nobles in elaborate long headdress, each separated by a black incised decorated panel with ribbed banding above and below, the hollow lobed feet still containing remnant gypsum crystals which allowed the vessel to be used in a ritualistic rattle-like manner. Fired clay with polychrome. Ulua Valley, Honduran Region, Central America (ex colln Dr Juliana Zanetti of La Balaustra Archaeologia, Bolognia, Italy). Size: 200 X 155mm.

Image Code PC06

Catalogue No.: PC06 Description: Costa Rican Stone Effigy Grinding Slab (Metate). Classic Period, c 300 - 700 AD. Beautifully carved metate featuring a stylised skull or jaguar head finial, a concave dish and bulbous extrusions, on three rounded legs. Grey volcanic stone. Guanacaste/Nicoya Region, Costa Rica. Size: 290 X 110mm.

Image Code PC07

Catalogue No.: PC07 Description: Pre-Columbian Tarascan Footed Offering Bowl Michoacan, Mexico. Post Classic Ex collection of Dr Juliana Zanetti of La Balaustra Archaeologia, Bolognia, Italy. Size: 209 x 67mm.

Image Code PC08

Catalogue No.: PC08 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 43 x 34mm.

Image Code PC09

Catalogue No.: PC09 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 42 x 30mm.

Image Code PC10

Catalogue No.: PC10 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 50 x 41mm.

Image Code PC11

Catalogue No.: PC11 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 40 x 32mm.

Image Code PC12

Catalogue No.: PC12 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 34 x 32mm.

Image Code PC13

Catalogue No.: PC13 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 42 x 28mm.

Image Code PC14

Catalogue No.: PC14 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 67 x 47mm.

Image Code PC15

Catalogue No.: PC15 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 44 x 26mm.

Image Code PC16

Catalogue No.: PC16 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 28 x 20mm.

Image Code PC17

Catalogue No.: PC17 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 59 x 34mm.

Image Code PC18

Catalogue No.: PC18 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Squirrel. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 67 x 29mm.

Image Code PC19

Catalogue No.: PC19 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 34 x 24mm.

Image Code PC20

Catalogue No.: PC20 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 35 x 34mm.

Image Code PC21

Catalogue No.: PC21 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 45 x 41mm.

Image Code PC22

Catalogue No.: PC22 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 37 x 28mm.

Image Code PC23

Catalogue No.: PC23 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Pipe. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 67 x 43mm.

Image Code PC24

Catalogue No.: PC24 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Pipe. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 52 x 39mm.

Image Code PC25

Catalogue No.: PC25 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figurine. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 37 x 36mm.

Image Code PC26

Catalogue No.: PC26 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 39 x 40mm.

Image Code PC27

Catalogue No.: PC27 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 28 x 37mm.

Image Code PC28

Catalogue No.: PC28 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 35 x 30mm.

Image Code PC29

Catalogue No.: PC29 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 71 x 63mm.

Image Code PC30

Catalogue No.: PC30 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD).  Size: 170 x 147mm.

Image Code PC31

Catalogue No.: PC31 Description: Pre-Columbian Pottery Spool. Late-Classic (c. 500 AD). Size: 104 x 70mm.

Image Code PC32

Catalogue No.: PC32 Description: Pre-Columbian Tumbaga Four Squirrel Pendant. Late Classic to Early Post Classic (c. 500 - 1100 AD). This four squirrel pendant was made from an alloy of gold and copper through a process known as tumbaga, in which it was surface enriched by etching away the copper and leaving a thin film of gold which was then burnished to give the piece the glistening gold appearance (known as depletion gilding). During burial, ground waters have attacked the coppery core causing it to decompose and slough off its surface gold. Tumbaga was used extensively in the Pre-Columbian world to make exquisite art objects such as this figural pendant. Known as Veraguas, this indigenous art style of Panama flourished in the centuries prior to the Spanish conquest. Gold/Copper alloy. Veraguas Province, Panama. Size: 37 x 15mm.

Image Code PC33

Catalogue No.: PC33 Description: Pre-Columbian Tumbaga Four Squirrel Pendant. Late Classic to Early Post Classic (c. 500 - 1100 AD). This four squirrel pendant was made from an alloy of gold and copper through a process known as tumbaga, in which it was surface enriched by etching away the copper and leaving a thin film of gold which was then burnished to give the piece the glistening gold appearance (known as depletion gilding). Tumbaga was used extensively in the Pre-Columbian world to make exquisite art objects such as this figural pendant. Known as Veraguas, this indigenous art style of Panama flourished in the centuries prior to the Spanish conquest. Gold/Copper alloy. Veraguas Province, Panama. Size: 74 x 36mm.

Image Code PC34

Catalogue No.: PC34 Description: Spindles and Whorls (Weavers' tools). c 1100 - 1400/Chancy. West Coast, Peru. Seven pieces. Size: 300 x 14mm.

Image Code PC35

Catalogue No.: PC35 Description: Pre-Columbian Miniature Figure. c. 1100-1300 AD/Mazapan. This molded miniature figurine was found at the site of Xico by Dr Allen Heflin. Xico was once an island city in Lake Texcoco. Size: 68 x 37mm.

Image Code PC36

Catalogue No.: PC36 Description: Rare Early Figurine. c. 900-600BC/Pre-Classic. Although this miniature ceramic figurine was found at the Aztec site of Cuautitlan by Dr Heflin, it dates to an early period. Size: 56 x 42mm.

Image Code PC37

Catalogue No.: PC37 Description: Pre-Columbian Figural Jar. c. 100-300 AD/Teotihuacan 1-11. This odd ceramic figurine may have been used as an offering jar. Found at the site of Xico by Dr Allen Heflin. Size: 52 x 43mm.

Image Code PC38

Catalogue No.: PC38 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 62 x 49mm.

Image Code PC39

Catalogue No.: PC39 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 67 x 49mm.

Image Code PC40

Catalogue No.: PC40 Description: Standing Male Figurine. (Colima, c. 200BC - 300AD, West Mexico). This well-attired male stands with hands on chest and is wearing a necklace with corn cob pendant. Langdon collection. Size: 157 x 68mm.

Image Code PC41

Catalogue No.: PC41 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure. Mexico, Pre-Classic (c.300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 67 x 54mm.

Image Code PC42

Catalogue No.: PC42 Description: Pre-Columbian Ceramic Candelero (Two-Holed). Location: Teotihuacan, Mexico. Age/Culture: c. 300-700AD/Teotihuacan. Condition: Excellent. The candelero was used as a portable incense burner or portable lamp. The simple style of this one dates it into the early part of the period. Ex. Heflin Collection. Size: 48 x 26mm.

Image Code PC43

Catalogue No.: PC43 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Late-Classic (c.500 AD).  Size: 65 x 59mm.

Image Code PC44

Catalogue No.: PC44 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Figure - Head. Mexico, Late-Classic (c.500 AD). Size: 97 x 84mm.

Image Code PC45

Catalogue No.: PC45 Description: Pre-Columbian Ceramic Candelero (Two-Holed). Location: Teotihuacan, Mexico. Age/Culture: c. 300-700AD/Teotihuacan. Condition: Excellent. The candelero was used as a portable incense burner or portable lamp. The simple style of this one dates it into the early part of the period. Ex. Heflin Collection. Size: 50 x 48mm.

Image Code PC46

Catalogue No.: PC46 Description: Two-Hole Candelero (Trophy Head). Location: Mexico. Age/Culture: c. 300-700AD/Teotihuacan. Condition: Excellent. A very fine effigy head form with an unusual side image. Used as a portable incense burner, it was probably employed during religious and ceremonial functions. Size: 75 x 44mm.

Image Code PC47

Catalogue No.: PC47 Description: Michoacan. 500-200BC. "Pretty Lady". Shown slightly pregnant. Size: 67 x 50mm.

Image Code PC48

Catalogue No.: PC48 Description: Pre-Columbian Standing Female Figurine Colima, (c. 200 BC – 300 AD) This standing female figure is depicted in a state of pregnancy. Size: 51 x 44mm.

Image Code PC49

Catalogue No.: PC49 Description: Pre-Columbian Ink/Brush Pot. Proto-Classic. c. 250 BC - 50 AD. Size: 69 x 71mm.

Image Code PC50

Catalogue No.: PC50 Description: Standing Terracotta Figurine. (Colima, c. 200BC - 300AD, West Mexico). This standing figure (male or female?) wears headdress and jewellery. Possible light restoration. Ex. Langdon collection. Size: 104 x 52mm.

Image Code PC51

Catalogue No.: PC51 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Miniature Pot Amulet. Pre-Classic, (c. 300 BC – 300 AD). Size: 24 x 15mm.

Image Code PC52

Catalogue No.: PC52 Description: Pre-Columbian Terracotta Warrior Figure. c. 1100 AD. Size: 83 x 52mm.

Image Code PC53

Catalogue No.: PC53 Description: Standing Female Figurine. (Colima, c. 200BC - 300 AD, West Mexico). A little naked lady wearing arm bands, head band and necklace. Nice ear spools. Perfect condition. Langdon collection. Size: 126 x 59mm.

Image Code PC54

Catalogue No.: PC54 Description: Terracotta depiction of a Conquistador Figure. c.16th Century. Size: 127 x 78mm.

Image Code PC55

Catalogue No.: PC55 Description: Pre-Columbian Jewellery - Greenstone Flared Ear Spool. Mezcala / Guerrero, Late Formative period (300BC - 200AD). Among the high civilizations that flourished in ancient Mesoamerica were the Olmecs, Teotihuacanos, Toltecs, Aztecs, Huastecs, Totonacs, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, Maya and other groups, with varying numbers of their descendants still living there today. Many of these groups became highly skilled as carvers of stone and engravers of precious gems as well as in the use of metals. This superb piece is fashioned from a jade-like Nephrite to Serpentine stone and retains much of its original high polish lustre. Rio Balsas, Guerrero, West Mexico. Size: 43mm x 24mm dia.

Image Code PC56

Catalogue No.: PC56 Description: Pre- Columbian Terracotta Female Figure with long hair and high coif. Tlatilco Culture (c. 1100 BC – 500 BC). Mexico. This delightful example of Pre-Columbian art comes with a custom-made steel stand. Unlike the terracottas of other civilisations, including the European ones, each of the sculptured finds from Tlatilco is a unique, original work. The production as a whole shows a number of predominant themes, with subjects from daily life prevailing. There are also formal models like the steatopygous female figures, and common stylistic devices such as the almost mask-like high foreheads and raised spreading eyebrows as in this example. It is clear that each artist worked with the greatest freedom while also adhering to a number of traditional basic features. The result is a surprising variety of richness and detail, composition, rhythm and invention. The current scholarly interpretation is that they represent a somewhat child-like, carefree ‘naturalism’. Some see them as ingenious reproductions of reality executed with primitive means. Certainly the reality they suggest is free of suffering and drama and appears serene, witty, affectionate and warm. At the same time, the plastic composition is not casual or improvised but carefully planned for symmetry, balanced harmony and lively but subtle modelling. Size: 160 X 70mm.

Image Code H292

Catalogue No.: H292 Description: Pre-Columbian Mummy Cloth Fragment. Coastal valleys of Peru. Chancay Culture. circa 900-1200 AD. Size: 240 X 150mm.

Image Code H305

Catalogue No.: H305 Description: Pre-Columbian Mummy Cloth Fragment. Coastal valleys of Peru. Chancay Culture. circa 900-1200 AD. Size: 340 X 120mm.

Image Code H686

Catalogue No.: H686 Description: Pre-Columbian Mummy Cloth Fragment. Coastal valleys of Peru. Chancay Culture circa 900-1200 AD. Size: 240 X 60mm.

Image Code H687

Catalogue No.: H687 Description: Pre-Columbian Mummy Cloth Fragment. Coastal valleys of Peru. Chancay Culture circa 900-1200 AD. Size: 100 X 80mm.

Image Code H688

Catalogue No.: H688 Description: Pre-Columbian Mummy Cloth Fragment. Coastal valleys of Peru. Chancay Culture. c. 900-1200 AD. Size: 350 X 10mm.

Image Code H689

Catalogue No.: H689 Description: Pre-Columbian Mummy Cloth Fragment. Coastal valleys of Peru. Chancay Culture. c. 900-1200 AD. Size: 220 X 10mm.

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