Colima Pottery Olla

Pre-Columbian Era, Colima Culture, c. 200-300 AD, Western Mexico

A remarkable and finely crafted pottery olla from the ancient Colima culture, featuring a short neck, wide mouth, and exceptionally thin walls—hallmarks of the region’s sophisticated ceramic traditions. The bulbous body is expertly hand-modeled, demonstrating the Colima artisans’ mastery of clay work without the use of a potter’s wheel.

Adding to its rare charm, two small hand-built zoomorphic figures perch on the vessel’s outer rim, possibly symbolic guardians or ritual elements. The polished surface enhances the vessel’s rich earthen tones, a characteristic feature of Colima’s celebrated burnished pottery tradition. Colima ceramics, part of the wider West Mexican Shaft Tomb tradition, are renowned for their graceful forms, intricate iconography, and funerary significance. Vessels such as this may have been used in ritual offerings, elite burials, or daily life—bridging the spiritual and material worlds of ancient Mesoamerican societies.

An exquisite example of Pre-Columbian artistry, this Colima olla embodies the elegance and refinement of one of Mexico’s most revered ceramic traditions.

Good condition. Repaired. Age-related wear and light abrasion. Repaired chip in the rim. Size approx. 14,0cm x 14,0cm x 11,0cm.

Provenance: Danish private collection