Featured Antique Clay Bowl (?)

Hello gang, I recently purchased a small clay bowl at a flea market in West Virginia. Outside the claim it is very old and an antique, not much was known about the pottery. Its dimensions are 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 1.2 inches tall (h). It has a cross / X design in the middle with alternating stripes a pie section with two circles, but no markings anywhere that I can find. It appears to have been painted long ago with orange and black paint. If anyone can please identify it (where it's from, timeframe, etc...) I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

 

Similar here ...
https://www.chairish.com/product/12...ombian-pottery-bowl-with-sterling-silver-base

and ...
https://architecturalcuenca.com/2021/04/25/museo-de-las-culturas-aborigenes/

 

"19th Century Pre-Columbian?????" Somebody needs to go back to school.

 

In the case of the cup with the silver base (that @Roaring20s provided a link to), it might be a marriage of a pre-columbian pottery cup with a 19th century silver addition. (Just a suggestion.)

@Doug Ketcher's little cup does resemble traditional pottery cups from Ecuador. There are many examples of similar cups (called "mucawa") made with pottery pedestals -


https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/d...inking-vessel-geometric-motifs/id-f_24103442/

I was puzzled by the shallow foot carefully carved on the bottom of Doug's cup. It is not something I would expect to see on an ethnographic/archeological vessel. But here is an undecorated cup/bowl that shows a similar "short ring base" -

https://www.npcollectables.org.uk/a1-gallery3.asp?roomID=481&pictureID=124001

It may be, in both cases, that a pottery pedestal was once present and has been lost or modified.

 

The silver addition is 20th century, the fineness mark is not a 19th century one.

I was wondering about the foot ring as well, but a modified pedestal makes sense.

 

Ah, yes. Thanks for that insight.

 

Could that bowl (minus the silver foot) actually date before the arrival of Columbus?

 

It could. They also made much more sophisticated pottery, and quite a lot survived (in burial sites).

 

Interesting.

 

Yes - but with all the usual caveats that any individual "pre-columbian" pot may be a more recent recreation or mended/restored.

 

Cool! Thanks for the links!!!

 

Wow! That's interesting!!! Thank You!

 

Insightful! Thanks for the input!!

 

That's very interesting... Thanks for the insights!

 

Wow! Wish I knew someone I could take it to and have it checked out! Thanks for the info!

 

Wow! I have a LOT of pottery terms to look up! Thanks for the info!

 

With pre-Columbian pottery it is generally best if you have it 'in hand', so to speak.
You could contact a museum or university that has a pre-Columbian arts department. Is there such a museum or university near you?

 

I will check around! MANY Thanks!!!

 

Will you keep us posted?

 

Absolutely! My girlfriend has a son currently attending Univ of Virginia, and I asked him to see what they may have on campus. Thanks Again!!!