Clay Face Jug?

Hi all,
Posting for a friend, trying to figure out where this would have been made. Red clay, terra cotta tourist item? Some sort of jug?
it is 7" x 8"
any information appreciated
thanks for looking

 

I'm sorry.....I have no words!! But then it kind of half looks like some kind of sort of African planter????

 

lol, no need for words Aquitaine, it is one of those pieces that make you speechless
Maybe African, I'll have a look in that direction. I though maybe South American but not finding another.

 

do you 'really' want to find another......

 

lol, I know, but the more I look at it the more I like it. Would be a great piece in the yard with some spiky grasses in it

 

yes...in the yard !!! exellent !

 

Is this it?


...came up while searching "mayan bulging eyes".

I was curious what deity the reproduction piece might be modelled after, so am looking into central american pottery. My search for "Halloween Googleeyes" came up empty, so I tried CHAAC TLALOC RAIN GOD PRE-COLUMBIAN instead. just guessing.

 

Tlaloc sometimes depicted with bulging eyes:

 

lol, good one Dawnno
so maybe Central American? will look in that direction

 

The nose of the piece is very Mayan, so not African imo.

The eyes -- more Bulgarian. [omg, that was bad]

 

apparently Tlaloc was Aztec, not Mayan. He Who Makes Things Sprout. Rain god. The vessel looks like its supposed to be hung up, like a catch/spout of some kind.

Running into a dead end though.

 

that was worth a chuckle !!!!!!

 

There's something about the finish that makes me think @Taupou might know something.

 

(Gad! They are multiplying!)

 

in envision the two holes in the back as this kind of use:
That way the spout is a drain hole facing down, and makes sense why the 'face' is so high, i.e., keeps the potting soil in. could also be used on a flat surface.

Actually, that wouldn't work too well... not evenly balanced, so it would really be off, but the two interior 'eye' holes would let you use four evenly spaced twine strings.

 

Ah! eureka. herb wall planters... that way the holes don't need to be balanced. pot hangs against wall, so horizontal forces are offset by equal and opposite force, and vertical vector of gravity is offset by a nail and string...


Physics, gardening, Aztecs. What more do you need?

A picture of the object in use, actually.

 

Thanks for all the replies folks
Thanks Dawnno I like the idea of plants in it!

there are only the two holes in the back, they eyes don't have holes in them, just spaces for the bulging part. The mouth is a hole, so liquid could go through.

 

Maybe that's it! Maybe it's supposed to be hung somewhere water can run out the mouth????

 

It is low fired, probably wood fired (judging from the "fire clouds" on the bottom and face). Fairly sophisticated technique - it looks like the eyelids and mouth might have been deliberately smudged in the firing (if that is possible) to get the darkened areas in the right places. And the holes behind the bulging eyes would have been placed to allow that hollow space to vent during firing. It appears to be based on mask designs, but also clearly designed as a hanging planter (as everyone else has pointed out) with the mouth as the drainage hole. I know it is the wrong material, but it reminds me of NW Coast shaman and tsonoqua masks. Interesting little piece.