https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/95671/fullSquash vessel with parrot supportsca. 900-1300 A.D.Height: 8 3/4 inches (22.2 cm);
Diameter: 13 inches (33 cm)Burnished earthenwareGift of Professor William J. Dress, PhD 19532003.043.0050This burnished redware Colima squash effigy vessel is supported by parrot-shaped legs. Vessels of this exact form are quite well-known, and are sometimes very large in size, as in this example. Colima potters frequently made pumpkin or squash effigy vessels of this type, with deeply lobed sides, probably because squashes were one of their staple crops, along with beans and maize or corn. Parrots were considered sacred and were markers of high status, in part due to their rarity on the west Mexican coast. They were symbolically linked to the planet Venus and to the new corn harvest. Vessels such as this were used to leave offerings of food for the dead.
Some bird species may have been imported from trading partners in Ecuador during pre-Columbian times, since the modern range of the painted jay and white-tailed jay (Cyanocorax spp.) includes only this area of West Mexico and modern Ecuador, which are separated by a distance of 4,000 km. Other pre-Columbian contacts between this area of west Mexico and Ecuador have been documented, although the claims have been challenged. This vessel is nearly identical to a vessel at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, accession number 92.85.20.
Suggested reading about Ecuadorian-Mexican contact:
Anawalt, Patricia Rieff (1992): "Ancient cultural contacts between Ecuador, west Mexico, and the American southwest: clothing similarities," in Latin American Antiquity 3(2): 114-129.
Pollard, Helen Pearlstein (1993): "Merchant colonies, semi-Mesoamericans, and the study of cultural contact: a comment on Anawalt," in Latin American Antiquity 4(4): 383-385.
Squashes and Gourds are frequently depicted in Pre-Columbian art and artifacts, particularly in ceramics. In Mesoamerica, squashes (Cucurbita spp.) are generally consumed as food, while bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) are used for containers. A symbolic connection between gourds and humans results from the fact that gourd shapes can be manipulated in the same way, using the same methods, as human head shapes may be changed during the process of cranial deformation, which is the manipulation of adult head shape through binding an infant's head from a very early age.
Birds are often symbolic of the spirit flight taken by a shaman or religious specialist during a vision quest, when the shaman is said to transform into a bird in order to transcend the material world and communicate with ancestor spirits. Often aided by hallucinogenic drugs, a shaman's spirit would fly out from his body in search of knowledge and spiritual fulfillment. Birds of all sorts are commonly depicted on Pre-Columbian works of art. Some birds, such as the eagle, are said to "possess all the wisdom of the spirits." Brightly-colored feathers were often added to clothing both for decoration and to symbolize shamanic transformation during vision quests and/or chiefly wisdom.
West Mexico (Colima, Nayarit, and Jalisco)
Unfortunately there is little information about the provenience of most pre-Columbian objects from this area, except that they were found in shaft tombs. Ranging up to 6 meters in depth, these tombs consist of a chamber leading from a narrow vertical hole or shaft. Because these chambers were used to bury many people over long periods of time, it is likely that they were maintained and used by family groups. West Mexican shaft tombs range in date from the Early Formative to the Early Classic periods, but most date to the Late Formative. Tombs may contain hundreds of figures; among them, paired sets of matching male and female figures, perhaps representing married couples, are common.
Further Reading:
Gill, George W. (1977): "Manifestations of a conceptual artistic ideal within a prehistoric culture," in American Antiquity 42 (1): 101-110. Discussion of Nayarit figurines.
Grosscup, Gordon L. (1961): "A sequence of figurines from west Mexico," in American Antiquity 26(3): 390-406.
Sund, Judy (2000): "Beyond the grave: the twentieth-century afterlife of west Mexican burial effigies," in The Art Bulletin 82(4): 734-767. Discusses the role of ancient art in modern advertising, particularly for liquors such as Kahlua.
Ceramics18106738350Colima (Mexico)Between about 500 BC and AD 500, potters in the region of western Mexico centered on the state of Colima produced an astonishing array of large human figures and effigy vessels. The beautifully burnished red slip and elegant modeling of this vessel reflect the skill of Colima potters. Their effigy vessels are among the most finely crafted ceramics in the West Mexican tradition and often depict animals and plants that were economically and symbolically important. The parrot-shaped leg supports for this vessel are particularly engaging and reflect the sacred and high status of parrots due to their rarity. (“Highlights from the Collection: 45 Years at the Johnson," curated by Stephanie Wiles and presented at the Johnson Museum January 27–July 22, 2018)
WHERE WAS IT MADE?
Colima potters lived and worked in the Western part of what is now Mexico.
HOW WAS IT MADE?
This vessel was likely hand-built with the coil method. In this method, a base is made by shaping clay into a flat disc. Then hand formed coils of clay, like ropes, are successively added to one another, building up the walls of the vessel. A tool such as a wooden paddle is used to smooth the sides both inside and out, leaving no trace of the coils. Tools were used to make the indentations of the lobes. The parrots were likely modeled by hand and attached separately. The vessel was burnished to a high polish prior to being fired in an earthen pit.
HOW WAS IT USED?
Vessels such as this were used to leave offerings of food for the dead, and have been found in shaft tombs. Ranging up to 6 meters in depth, these tombs consist of a chamber leading from a narrow vertical hole or shaft. Because these chambers were used to bury many people over long periods of time, it is likely that they were maintained and used by family groups. Tombs may contain hundreds of ceramic figures; among them, paired sets of matching male and female figures, perhaps representing married couples, are common.
WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?
Vessels of this exact form are quite well known, and are sometimes very large in size, as in this example. Colima potters frequently made pumpkin or squash effigy vessels of this type, with deeply lobed sides, probably because squashes were one of their staple crops, along with beans and maize or corn.
Notice the parrot-shaped legs supporting the squash. Parrots were considered sacred and were markers of high status, in part due to their rarity on the west Mexican coast. They were symbolically linked to the planet Venus and to the new corn harvest. Some bird species may have been imported from trading partners in Ecuador during pre-Columbian times, since the modern range of the painted jay and white-tailed jay includes only this area of West Mexico and modern Ecuador, which are separated by a distance of 4,000 km. Other pre-Columbian contacts between this area of west Mexico and Ecuador have been documented, although the claims have been challenged.
To see another animal figure depicted in Colima pottery, a snake shaped vessel in the Johnson Museum’s collection, search for object number 2000.115 in the keyword search box.
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