a lovely pup pot

The Proctor Stafford Collection, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch (M.86.296.156)
courtesy of www.lacma.org

How satisfying this clay vessel must feel when you pick it up in two hands (it's 6 3/4 x 8 x 10 in.).  This bright-eyed dog from Mexico's Colima culture dates somewhere from 200 BC to 500 AD.  Dogs were believed to guide souls to the land of the dead; the vessel probably held liquid or food offerings for the departed.  Read a little more about your typical Colima dog vessel here at the British Museum.