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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Toltec Art : Toltec Plumbate Head Effigy Vessel
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Toltec Plumbate Head Effigy Vessel - PF.2902
Origin: Soconusco, Guatemala
Circa: 1000
AD
to 1200
AD
Dimensions:
2.75" (7.0cm) high
x 3" (7.6cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Medium: Plumbate
$2,500.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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The Toltec civilization first gained ascendany in
the
Valley of Mexico around 900 A.D., after the fall
of Teotihuacan. Although their origins and early
history are obscure, the Toltecs appear to have
ancient ties to both the Mixtec and the Zapotec.
The word Toltec means “master builders” in the
Nahuatl language, a testament to the
sophistication of Toltec constructions. Their art
and architecture was highly influenced by
Teotihuacan as well as the ancient Olmec culture.
The Toltecs were technologically advanced,
capable of smelting metals. Their stonework was
impeccable as the ruins of Tula demonstrate.
This
archaeological site is believed to be Tollan, the
legendary capital of the Toltec civilization
referred to in a number of postconquest sources.
Their social structure was headed by an elite
class of warriors. Excavation have uncovered the
ceremonial center that included a pyramid
structure topped by a temple dedicated to the
hero-god Quetzalcoatl.
This stunning Toltec vessel, known as plumbate
ware, is distinguished by its attractive glassy
luster, which was produced by covering the
vessel in a slip high in iron and aluminum
content and then firing the pot at high
temperatures. Greatly prized as a luxury item,
plumbate vessels such as this formed a unique
component in the repertoire of Mesoamerican
art. During the height of the Toltec civilization,
plumbate works were produced at only one
place: on the Pacific slope of the Soconusco
region in modern Guatemala. Furthermore, the
process by which it was made seems to have
been a closely guarded secret. Such wares were
highly valued throughout Mesoamerica and were
traded along commercial networks that extended
as far as Panama. Plumbate was so desirable in
part because it maintains an exceptional
hardness that can be scarcely scratched with
steel.
Although the plumbate head has a beautiful
vitrified surface that has been enhanced with
incision lines, it maintains an exceptional
hardness that can be scarcely scratched with
steel. Such sturdy plumbate head effigy vessel,
thus, retained its beautiful orange color and
incision enhancements. As many effigy vessels
from the Toltec culture consist of gods, men, and
animals, this specific head perhaps represents
Tlaloc, the rain God. Although the sculpture
resembles a human head, one cannot overlook
the representational features of the rain God--
deeply incised circular eyes and a fringe beard.
Representing the powerful God, Tlaloc, this
plumbates head holds a great value as it did
during the Toltec era. Having been made
exclusively in one region during a brief period of
time, with a secretive method, this plumbate
head is a valuable rarity from Mesoamerican
history.
- (PF.2902)
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