Lot 88
Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chimu, ca. 1400 to 1500 CE. A darling pottery vessel in the form of a rectangular cuboid topped by the figure of a guinea pig with a stirrup spout rising from its back, all enveloped in a lustrous black pigment. The cute creature stands atop 4 slender legs with petite paws and delineated feet as he faces forward, his large head displaying a pointed snout, almond-shaped eyes, and round ears. Size: 5.3" L x 3.4" W x 7.5" H (13.5 cm x 8.6 cm x 19 cm)
The iconography of the guinea pig was significant among Andean cultures. According to scholar Eduardo Archetti, "During the Inca Empire, the guinea-pig was important both in people's diet and in the ceremonial world. Llamas and alpacas belonged to the state, whereas the guinea-pig was the 'popular' animal par excellence. There is clear evidence that guinea-pigs were consumed only on ritual occasions and were never part of the everyday peasant diet. Various chronicles emphasize that the guinea-pig was slaughtered and eaten only on festive occasions or when making offerings to the gods. At the same time, the guinea-pig was used as an instrument of divination. There is no evidence that it was used as a totem."
Provenance: Private Hidden Valley Lake, California, USA collection; ex-Arte Antico, LLC, New York, New York, USA, December 9th, 2020, Ancient and Ethnographic Auction Winter 2020, lot 25; ex-private Brooklyn, New York, USA collection
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#170662
- Condition: Repaired with restoration over break lines and to spout. Expected nicks, chips, and abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice pigment.
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