Lot 119
Pre-Columbian, Northwest Argentina, Condorhuasi-Alamito culture, Early Period, ca. 200 BCE to 500 CE. An intriguing mask carved from mottled brown, pink, and cream-hued stone with an expressive visage. The facial features include a pair of shallow drilled eyes, a triangular nose, protruding and pursed lips, and a rounded brow. The concave verso and suspension holes drilled through the temples suggest this mask was meant to be placed over the face of a deceased individual. Size: 4.625" W x 5.6" H (11.7 cm x 14.2 cm)
This culture is from the Hualfin Valley in the Catamarca province of Argentina, although it seems to have had cultural influence or at least trading connections both north and south. The landscape was semi-arid and high altitude, similar to that of the American Southwest. The people of the region were llama pastoralists who created artwork in ceramic, metal, and stone, often with repeated themes - for example, masks made of lapis lazuli and copper have been found that look nearly identical in form to this one. Masks like this one were deposited into graves that were buried in the patios or inside the rooms of small houses in villages or, in some areas of the Hualfin Valley, segregated cemeteries. They seem to represent idealized images of the deceased.
Provenance: ex-Nancy and Dr. E.F. Simpson collection, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from 1970 to 2000
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#171970
- Condition: Nicks, abrasions, and a few stable hairline fissures, with large chips to forehead and verso of mandible. Nice preservation to overall form and great earthen deposits throughout. Two modern felt pads attached to verso.
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