Rock Art (Arte Rupestre) Redware Wall Charger Dominican Republic

There is currently great interest in Dominican Republic cave rock art by archaeologists as new caves are being discovered and explored. This striking wall charger is an example of an artist's interpretation of "arte rupestre," Spanish for "rock art," by the Taino, an indigenous people now extinct. The platter has a central pictograph of a human, painted in a stark black and white outline, stick figure style. The background is mottled shades of sea green, rust and cream with a gilded rim. The reverse shows the unpainted red clay that the potter used to make the charger; the back is not glazed, but is sponged and smeared with swoops of dark glaze or stain. The white paper label affixed to the back is printed with "Arte Rupestre Handmade by Cory Punta Cana Rep. Dominica." The charger retains its original price tag of $375.00.

This charger is 12 3/4 inches in diameter, 1 1/2 inches high and weighs 3 1/2 pounds. The 3/8 inch high foot is 9 inches in diameter. Two hanger holes are molded into the upper back and a short piece of tan string is knotted through the holes for hanging. It would be very easy to put in a longer hanger if needed; the platter can sit on a shelf or act as a table centerpiece, also.

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