Deer Effigy

[Skinny]

I recently purchased three pieces of supposed Precolumbian pottery. I paid $90 for all three. I'm reasonably confident that the deer effigy and the maroon pitcher are genuine, and that the grey vessle is fake or otherwise not very old. They are perported to have been legaly exported from Mexico in the mid twentieth century. The deer (im guessing) effigy is the one i'm asking about today. Anyone know about these things?

[mart]

From where did you purchase these ??

[Skinny]

Purchased on good old Ebay. I thought I was going to get some papetwork with them but they just showed a picture of paperwork in the listing. They had other pieces they were selling from the same collection.

[mart]

Can you post a link to that sale and let me read it ??  Most of what is sold on ebay is not pre-colombian !!  Its just pre-colombian in style !!  They still make these in many parts of Mexico and South America !!

[Skinny]

I don't know how to make a link with this phone, but if you google "lot of 3 ancient precolumbian terra cotta bowls plate" it should come up. Their pictures are better than mine

[mart]

Tried that but nothing came up !!  Better idea,, just go to your "my ebay" and tell me the item number for your purchase !!  I can find others he has from that !!

[Skinny]

Ok, item number was 272575112124

[Rauville]

I looked at the eBay listing for your items, and saw the "paperwork" they pictured. There is certainly a well known name in the field mentioned that would add creditability to the pieces if proven correct.
http://research.amnh.org/anthropology/research/mca/projects/ekholm

[mart]

Rauville can you find this original listing on ebay ?? Nothing came up in my search,, or tell me how you found it !!  Problem with that article is that it does not tie these items to that dig !!  It just gives the history of that persons excavations !!  If found with that dig there should be pics/description as it is catalogued !!  They do not just toss them into a bin !!  Each will be noted and catalogued with where found !!

[Skinny]

Yeah we won't ever find documentation on these. They were probably dug up a long time ago and sold several times. Two of them anyway. The gray one has never been buried, I can tell that much

[mart]

How long has it been since you purchased them ??  I checked sold listings and completed listings and they did not show up !!  Do you remember the sellers ID ??

[Skinny]

The seller is bibliovendor. It's been probably three weeks, but it's still in the completed listings if you scroll down a ways

[mart]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-Of-3-Ancient-Precolumbian-Terra-Cotta-Bowls-Plate-/272575112124?hash=item3f76be23bc%3Ag%3AOA8AAOSw32lYuGsN&nma=true&si=39zxJ8iDwz%252Boghcbzy98n1oKL3Q%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Finally found it in the sold listings !!  But did not find anything when I went to " show original listing" about paperwork or the article that Rauville found !!  This is totally confusing !!

[Rauville]

Mart; Sorry for the confusion. Look at the auction photos for the "paperwork", which isn't much. I was curious if the names mentioned were actually involved in archeology, and thus provided the link for added reference only. It has nothing to do with the objects in question I'm sure.

[KC]

Mart, here is the paperwork from the listing - (Yes I know there are "typos" but I retyped it just as it was typed - with typos!)  It states:

"Mexican, Pre-Columbian Artifacts, acquired 1955 through 1959 and cleared for legal export by Dr. Bernal Diaz, director, Museo Nacional, Mexico, D. F.
In 1960 the collection was authenticated by Dr. Gordon M. Eckholm, curator for Meso-America, The American Museum of Natural History. 
Some were created before the birth of Christ, most date form about 900AD, all predate the arrival of the Spanish in th early 1500's.
(Handwritten)  Thank you for your kindness. 10/10/97  Jesse R. Smith, 99 Liberty St. Bloomfield"