tse £. cn Mak PATALOGUE ou, J VALUABLE COLLECTION ) MEXICAN ANTIQUITIES, THE HIGHEST STATE OF PRESERVATION, FROM THE ANCIENT CITIES OF TEZCOCO, TEZCOSINGO & CHALCO, COLLECTED UNDER THE PERSONAL SUPERINTENDENCE, AND THE PROPERTY OF CHARLES B. YOUNG, ESQ. im Cr {> 4 I, Po es Ls 4 ae we } WHICH WILL BE SOLD BY AUCTION, BY MESSRS. — S LEIGH SOTHEBY & CO. AUCTIONEERS OF LITERARY PROPERTY AND WORKS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE FINE ARTS, AT THEIR HOUSE, 3, WELLINGTON STREET, STRAND, On THURSDAY, the 29th day of JANUARY, 1846, at OnE o’Clock precisely. May be Viewed Two Days previous to the Sale, and Catalogues had, spe SRN a ee th retin J. Davy & Sons, Printers, 137, Long Acres CONDITIONS OF SALE. I. The highest bidder to be the buyer; and if any dispute arise between two or more bidders; the lot so disputed shall be immediately put up again. II. No person to advance less than ls. ; above Five Pounds 2s. 6d.; and so on in proportion. III. The Purchasers to give in their Names and Places of Abode, and to pay down 5s. in the Pound, if required, in part of pay- ment of the Purchase-money; in default of which, the Lot or Lots purchased to be immediately put up again and re-sold. I1V.—The Sale of any lot is not to be set aside on account of any v. VI. error in the enumeration of the numbers stated, or errors of description. The Lots to be taken away at the Buyer’s Expence, immediately after the Conclusion of the Sale ; in default of which, S. Leigh Sotheby & Co. will not hold themselves responsible if lost, stolen, damaged or otherwise destroyed, but they will be left at the sole risk of the Purchaser. If at the expiration of Two Days after the conclusion of the Sale, the Lots are not cleared or paid for, they will then be catalogued for immediate sale, and the expence, the same as if re-sold, will be added to the amount at which they were bought. §S. Leigh Sotheby & Co. will have the option of re-selling the Lots uncleared either by public or private sale, without any notice being given to the defaulter. Upon failure of complying with the above conditions, the money required or deposited in part of payment shall be forfeited ; and if any loss is sustained in the re-selling of such lots as are not cleared or paid for, all charges on such re-sale shall be made good by the defaulter at this sale. Genilemen who cannot attend the Sale, may have their Commissions faithfully executed by their humble Servants, S. LEIGH SOTHEBY & JOHN WILKINSON Wellington Street, Strand, PREFACE. Tue following Collection of Antiquities were discovered during the last year, among the sepulchral ruins of the ancient cities of ‘T'ezcoco, Tezcosingo, and Chalco, which are known to have been places of consequence when the Spaniards invaded the country, during the rule of Montezuma, and were remarkable for the splendour of their palaces, gardens, baths, promenades, &c. ‘The two Cinerary Vases, lots 70 and 71, are considered highly valuable, even in Mexico, being destined to receive the ashes of persons of the highest rank exclusively, and are rarely to be obtained. ‘The superstitious dread of disturbing the ashes of the dead, entertained by the present Indian tribes, is an additional obstacle to discovery, and it is only penury or avarice which will induce them to aid in what they consider to be the desecration of their ancient sepulchres. The proprietor of the Collection now offered for public | sale, states in a letter of recent date, that there are French, German, Italian and Prussian agents employed in collecting antiquities for their respective governments; but the circum- stance of there being no agent on the part of England, has operated with him as an inducement thus to make known to. his countrymen the existence of such interesting relics of a now extinct but once great and powerful nation. —- f } SNESS = SSS Beat ~ et ON LO AS EB PSE rc tt vet ence in > Ree Ss > aie a pec s iN > > > MEXICAN ANTIQUITIES, | LOT CATALOGUE OF IN TERRA COTTA. | 1 Seven small Figures of Deities 7 | 2 Three others, larger . ‘ 3 3 A flat grotesque Figure : I 4 A curious grotesque Figure 8 inches high. 1 5 Another : 2 ; l Mebplhe 6 Another l 7 Another ‘ 1 lekiles 8 A curious Figure seated, ee by two er the tails “ of which are entwined round the arms 10 inches high. : Secs 9 A Snake, coiled - Wheloe 10 A Tobacco Pipe, very curious, and in Mexico gobo do / UNIQUE : A curious Whistle, Pee in a grotesque Head, very rare 1 wey “a A seated Figure of a Warrior, his head dress ornamented with b Mies a large plume of feathers; on the pedestal is an inscription in ee the ancient Mexican language; very rare J “ene © A singular squatted Figure with grotesque head 1 6 j A beautiful Patera, ornamented, but pie mutilated 1 ren, Three grotesque Figures ? 3 t Three curious Figures of Deities vide 3 (lea A Warrior seated, a Snake issuing from between his feet; a fine 7 : and perfect figure : | Four grotesque Figures . 4 tactical A Head of a Rabbit, of a fine red Hiazad ware; aremarkable specimen, though a fragment 1 rend Two small red Figures < : 2 oc Se ee ome am ee ee ee a ee cer EN SRNR ” — enrrieus26 A grotesque Figure, seated, the hands slippotttig the chin | > ae j ; ( 5 ) 17 fe " a “/ 9) A Figure, resembling the “ Virgin and Child”; rude, bué.! | : A curious : 1 G i“ auf22, A small Figure, debbably oracular ‘ 1 | h 5] < a/ 23 Two small Sacerdotal Figures ; 2 f o | fz2- 24 A curious Figure, wearing an ornamental ats or aider lil, : b 25 A Royal Personage, in a sitting posture yiPoy 9 ) iP i JZ 8 inches high. 1 | Z 27 A small Figure, with ornamented head dress : Ii}, | Gerrrauf.28 A Royal Personage, seated ; a small mask surmounts the diadem, | | y another is on the breast, and one on each knee. This figure | wears a species of sandals ; very curious and rare | a 10 inches high. 1. Of vrd 99 A Priest, seated ; fine 9 inches high. 1. Webbe 30 A Rattle Snake, coiled up. It is hollow, and on being shaken | - emits a rattling sound; very curious and rare, and of beau- | tiful workmanship Li VA 7 +81 A Double Mask, hollow, and filled with clay aathels, probably a A child’s toy or rattle. In the description sent from Mexico| this is termed “ unique” ie Ll» auz 82 A four-footed Patera, curious . a] 4 2 883 A curious small Vase : aig & | 34 A singular double-cone Vase, orhamrented with lizards, &e. | i 8 inches high. 1] o 40 Mee | nt. 35 A beautiful Vase of red Terra Cotta, a snake twining round the | | ; oa ac ie eas a Te pas > 2 S oe 8 | merase eemeranpushervie nemesis Oe a ESP RN A A SN EA RE a as earn eee ce SS > > neck; a fine specimen 8 inches high. 1 D 77 a ‘36 The companion Vase : : : 1) ; J P 37 A curious two-handled Patera, inscribed with Mexican charac- a -. ters; rare and curious : Pi s |; ‘ Yér200438 A small, but singular, two-handled Gitp Li fF + | i ks, 39 A splendid pitcher-shaped Libatory Vase, 1] Monta high. In . perfection of form this may vie with the Etruscan; a most desirable specimen : 1 ne @. 40 A four-footed Cinerary Vase or Um, ornamented with masks 5 | he quite perfect, and fine eee oe 10 inches high, 81 inches in circumference. 1. 7 Jo 6 J he Al A superb Vase or Cinerary Urn, of light colored Terra Cotta.) | : > The sides of this fine vase are adorned with human okie | | | Mexican inscriptions, and other subjects in compartments ; the | { rim is also covered with Mexican characters. This collection A | w op Another Vessel, of dark red Terra Cotta, the body of which i is > LL a tr CSS etree es ies» nes-pemavithansonai metre ee, a Ce) does not contain a more perfect, more extraordinary, or more desirable example of ancient Mexican art} ) 13 inches high, 35 inches in circumference. 1 la e A very early and rude Statue, in porous or volcanic stone | 13 inches high. 1 lw arde | ” 43 A very primitive looking Head of a Statue, of a similar material A; : 2 . to the previous lot : : 1 “he A pregnant and hump-backed Female Figure, making horrible ae grimaces; very curious . . eee 6 |» 45 A round Vase of white Terra Cotta 3 a | 8 inches high, 23 inches in circumference. 1 /etenre _, 46 A beautiful, round, four-footed Vase, ornamented with snakes’ | ) and human heads ; quite perfect W he . 8 inches high, 24 inches in circumference. 1 1h 47 A very remarkable Vessel or Patera, with two handles, orna-- ) mented with six human figures e. 2 é] 12 inches long and 4 inches high. 48 A large pitcher-shaped Vase of red Terra Cotta, with a | handles, ornamented with human figures and snakes; fine and > . perfect 13 inches high. 1 | ” 49 A curious Vessel, of red Terra Cotta, in the form of a Toad; a Br oe | | rare and fine specimen 11 winches long. 1 <9 in the form of a Cock ; slightly mutilated, but very rare— \ | 10 inches high. . ctr + ‘51 A round Vase or Cinerary Urn, the neck encircled by = snakes, and 12 human figures round the body; very fine | 8 inches high, 28 inches in circumference. 1 fiwn. . 52 A light coloured Vase with its cover, ornamented with snakes | and heads, and partly fluted ; the cover is surmounted with ) a grotesque bust, finely executed—The height of the two . objects is 15 inches. 1 4 hr le 88 A very large two-handled Vase, of bright red ware, highly orna- I | . mented with human heads and various reptiles. This mag- — cen nificent specimen, the largest of the kind hitherto sent from Pay ; Mexico, is 17 inches high, and 44 inches in circumference. 1 | . 54 A four-footed Vase or Urn, ornamented with four large heads . a | | 12 inches high, 34 inches in circumference. 1 archers * 195 A round Vase, ornamented with twenty-two grotesque heads and Lhe, figures 12 inches high. 1 MY @ a ee A tm seieeiindistiiemnemmehemaeee oe A ee NR eee meat ee Katia) | 7 (4 A handsome four-footed Cinerary Urn, the feet representing the | | heads of sheep; round the body are four extremely well wrought human heads, wearing a melancholy expression, and | four small figures in relief surround the neck ; very fine and | t perfect ; 12 inches high. 1 A plain unornamented Patera or Bowl, such as are always found i in the sepulchres of the poorer classes 1 A large round Urn, supposed to be of very early fabric, orna- mented with rude figures in square compartments; the feet | are gone, and it is otherwise slightly mutilated, but very curi- | | ous 10 inches high, 35 inches in circumference. lj f A large grotesque Figure, fine and curious 14 inches high. 1 : 1 /enf 60 A sitting Figure, having animals heads on the knees 1] p ger 61 A small Figure of light red ware, apparently a Female and + Child 1} « is. A four-footed Patera of light colour, fine 1 B got ae Pree TS Sr Ne) Zzig 63 A beautiful Vase, plain on.the body, but two snakes encircle the » . neck, and the handles represent duck’s heads; a Sine speci | f men 8 inches high. 1 ey, 64 A very remarkable Gre eonial Vase or Urn; on the sides are, four panther or Jeopard heads, from the mouths of which | human heads are issuing; the rim is elaborately ornamented; Jine and rare 9 inches high. 1 i vy A four-footed Vase, ornamented with reptiles and human figures | 9 inches high. 1) A curious pitcher-shaped Vase, probably libatory Lit A large pitcher-shaped four-footed Vase 13 inches high. 1 i A slender pitcher-shaped Vase, the body representing two grotesque heads, slightly mutilated 17 inches high. ll « A pair of small Vases, of good workmanship, but slightly muti-| lated P| A large black two-handled Cane Urn, the body of which is| grasped by the “ Hand of Power” 1 12 inches high, 50 inches in circumference. 1) Another, precisely similar, except in size, being ( 16 inches high, 54 inches in circumference. Li A small pitcher-shaped Vase, handle broken Li A handsome four-footed Vase or Urn, ornamented with eight figures round the body, some of them apparently winged ;! Jine and scarce 7 10 inches high. 1. OLE SARTO fel ack S570 L Cees 74 A very ancient Cinerary Urn, ornamented in unique em very | rare 12 inches high. 1¢ WG 2 | (7 A grotesque Figure in the form of a pitcher-shaped. Vase, with large wings on the sides, and collar or necklace in front ; a . very singular specimen _ 18 inches high. 1 P 4 |Z a 76 A Vase similar to the preceding, but smaller,. and without wings — ol on the sides, but equally curious and fine - — 1 o | 77 A two-handled Tripod Vase ; one of the feet is wanting, andi itis otherwise slightly mutilated ., - Qinches high. 1 8 A two-handled Tripod Vase, mutilated 12 inches high. 1 79 A large handsome pitcher-shaped Vase, with snake ornament and curious heads; very fine and uncommon — 14 pi Be hohe ie . bo a | ese coerce ene aaree cs Foran SSB SPS flaDNe Achat acne Gnaresirnd anata ahe cals saeian" caeaaeNt . : > / ) QO] 80 A fine four-footed two-handed Vase: or Ain in nm good preserva= tion , Jf + 81 A singular Wises Linatens Vase, with suskenaniel feety, : . | - and three grotesque masks round the body; very ware . 13 inches high. oe | / A « | 82 A pitcher-shaped Tripod Vase, the mouth formed like that of i 3d Toad, with human hands, &c.; fine and rare = a 16 inches high, 34 inches in circumference. eae 83 A round four-footed two-handled Urn, ornamented ser &c.; very fine and curious, but wants one handle = cour 12 inches high, 33 inches t in cnconinnaee bas and figures, but somewhat mutilated = Ay ath ay. her-shaped Vase, of beautiful workmanship, attics __ Q inches highs 86 A seated grotesque Figure, with spall human beat, 0 | shoulders 1 inches hig 87 A seated grotesque Figure with Site on the : ire ry curious — tail _ l2inches hig & 88 Small Figures a various sia: hashanane oid)