Featured "Pre-Colombian" Artifacts

Yes. The piece I have is the same one in SeaGoat's post.

 

Who told you the Native American drinking story?

 

I found the design to be similar to the Native American wedding vessels on
www.kachinahouse.com. and got the info from one of their links.

 

It is a Tairona Double Spouted Vessel. Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Tairona region, ca. 1000 to 1550 CE. Jars like this one were made specifically to be placed into tombs, perhaps filled with libations.

 

I said it before, the double spouted vessel is Tairona style. Until it is authenticated that is all anyone can say. It could be a nice replica, which is what I suspect.

Pre-Columbian Tairona and present-day Santa Clara Pueblo are two entirely different cultures in different parts of the world btw, not to be confused.

 

And, again, the story of the "Native American wedding vase" is a complete fabrication, invented in order to sell more tourist pottery souvenirs.

Many people believed it, however, and it has been repeated over the years, to the point that it now appears on numerous web sites, on papers accompanying "souvenir wedding vases," and has even led to the actual use of the form in weddings. But repeating false information for years, still doesn't make it true.

The double spout form is commonly found in pottery all over the world, and there is absolutely no connection here with a "Native American wedding vase."

I agree with Any Jewelry as to the identification.

 

Sort of related to the discussion about unmarketability of ivory items, I have read that Mexico and central america (along with many other countries) are also asserting claims on their cultural artifacts and antiquities - the presumption seems that most items were taken by tomb raiders and smugglers. Do you know whether this applies to only certain items, or to anything including items such as these. I have collected several apparently pre-Columbian pieces, but didn't know whether they can be sold or whether there are any restrictions?

Very rarely (maybe never?) do I get anything with a proper provenance. This is because I buy direct from estates or thrifts, which I think applies to most of us on this website.

 

I was once offered a lot of 40 or 50 pieces.....said to be from south & central America.....very old... very valuable.........
My 1st though......run away....run away fast !!!
4 a variety of reasons.....least of all...I'm no expert in that.....

 

Yes it does. It has always been my understanding that pre-Columbian artefacts from Latin America are ok as long as they left the country of origin before ca 1970. The trouble is proving it. Most of mine were brought back by my father from business trips in the 1960s, but that is my say-so of course.

Maybe this site will help get more clarity in a complicated matter:
http://archives.icom.museum/redlist/LatinAmerica/english/red_list.html