Pre-Columbian, Classic Maya, Guatemala or Mexico, ca. 600 to 900 CE. This is a charming sculpture of a bat with wings spread that double as a whistle. The pottery has been sculpted into delightful features, with a realistic face and wide ears. One of the characteristics of the Classic Maya period is naturalistic sculpture of animals. However, the artist may have intended more than just a representation of an animal he or she saw -- one of the Maya gods, Camazotz, was the "death bat", associated with night, death, and human sacrifice. Size: 3" W x 3" H (7.6 cm x 7.6 cm).
Provenance: Ex-Professor Peter Arnovick Collection, CA collected before 1970
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