Colima Incised Bone Stamp / Roller

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. An unusual ungulate bone cylinder that may have functioned as a stamp roller, hand carved with curving lines radiating from the upper and lower openings. The design could be rolled onto a surface using ink or other liquid mediums to create a continuous pattern. It is presumed that such roller stamps were probably used on cloth, wood, or even painting skin like a tattoo or body paint. The interior is hollowed out and could be suspended on a cord when not in use. Size: 2.65" L x 1" Diameter (6.7 cm x 2.5 cm)

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-private Arkansas, USA collection, via descent in 2021; ex-private Florida estate, USA, acquired from the 1960s to 1970s

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#172320
Condition Report: Chip and loss on one end as shown. Stable fissures and black striations. Mineral and earthen encrustations.