Fired clay. Pre-Columbian America, Nayarit, approx. 1st cent. (time examined)
Very rare three-dimensional piece of a seated anteater putting both paws – looking very human – something to eat in its mouth. The animal′s head shows alert, pointy ears and incised elongated stripes reaching from neck to snout. The facial expression is clever to amused (because it tastes so good). Big vessel-shaped, arched, strongly hunched back, marked along the spine with nubs. Little tail, masculine genitals. Grey shard with grey-yellow toning, black spots and blackish fields. Age characteristics, good preservation.
HEIGHT 21,5 CM, LENGTH 22,2 CM
Former collection Heinz Walter, Munich, acquired prior to 1970
This anteater is illustrated in ?Ulrich Hoffmann, Sch?tze Alt-Amerikas“, page 165, and a very similar example was featured in the catalog ?Rijksmuseum Leiden, Von Küste zu Küste“, page 271.
Certificate No. 01210409 of TL-age examination in the German Laboratory Kotalla of May 2009 is available