Rare Miniature Tlatilco Janus-Faced Acrobat Whistle
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Tlatilco, ca. 1150–550 BCE. A miniature buff-tan pottery whistle in the form of an acrobat, arms flung wide and legs thrown simultaneously forward and back in a contortionist's split. The head is janus-formed, two faces sharing one skull beneath a finely incised close-fitting coiffure, the features crisply modeled with heavy lidded eyes and full lips. A thick applied collar circles the neck, punctuated by button-like bosses at each side and beneath the arms. Four perforations, two in the leg and two in the head, serve the instrument's voicing and finger stops. Traces of reddish pigment survive across the limbs and face. Acrobats and dual-faced beings recur in Tlatilco ceramic art, likely tied to shamanic performance and transformation. Size: 2" W x 4" H (5.1 cm W x 10.2 cm H).
Tlatilco, a village site in the Valley of Mexico occupied through the Middle Formative, is best known for the extraordinary ceramic figurines recovered from its burials. Among them are the celebrated two-faced and two-headed figures: single bodies bearing doubled visages, sometimes with three eyes or two mouths on one face. Scholars generally read them not as depictions of congenital anomaly but as expressions of duality, an idea that runs through Mesoamerican thought for the following three millennia, and as images of the shaman who occupies two states at once.
Acrobats and contortionists form a second recurrent Tlatilco subject, their bodies bent into positions that suggest trance, ritual dance, or the ecstatic performance that accompanied it. That both themes converge in a single working whistle, an object made to be sounded rather than merely seen, makes this a genuinely uncommon survival.
Provenance: NYC. collection; Ex. Edward H. Merrin Gallery, Inc., NYC., 1980’s.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73009
Condition
Loss to one side of the hairdo, one foot chipped, missing one hand, and repaired from approximately four original pieces.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Tlatilco, ca. 1150–550 BCE. A miniature buff-tan pottery whistle in the form of an acrobat, arms flung wide and legs thrown simultaneously forward and back in a contortionist's split. The head is janus-formed, two faces sharing one skull beneath a finely incised close-fitting coiffure, the features crisply modeled with heavy lidded eyes and full lips. A thick applied collar circles the neck, punctuated by button-like bosses at each side and beneath the arms. Four perforations, two in the leg and two in the head, serve the instrument's voicing and finger stops. Traces of reddish pigment survive across the limbs and face. Acrobats and dual-faced beings recur in Tlatilco ceramic art, likely tied to shamanic performance and transformation. Size: 2" W x 4" H (5.1 cm W x 10.2 cm H).
Tlatilco, a village site in the Valley of Mexico occupied through the Middle Formative, is best known for the extraordinary ceramic figurines recovered from its burials. Among them are the celebrated two-faced and two-headed figures: single bodies bearing doubled visages, sometimes with three eyes or two mouths on one face. Scholars generally read them not as depictions of congenital anomaly but as expressions of duality, an idea that runs through Mesoamerican thought for the following three millennia, and as images of the shaman who occupies two states at once.
Acrobats and contortionists form a second recurrent Tlatilco subject, their bodies bent into positions that suggest trance, ritual dance, or the ecstatic performance that accompanied it. That both themes converge in a single working whistle, an object made to be sounded rather than merely seen, makes this a genuinely uncommon survival.
Provenance: NYC. collection; Ex. Edward H. Merrin Gallery, Inc., NYC., 1980’s.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73009
Condition
Loss to one side of the hairdo, one foot chipped, missing one hand, and repaired from approximately four original pieces.
Buyer's Premium
30%
