Description:

Pre-Columbian, Northern Peru, Moche IV, Ca 500 to 700 CE. Rare and quite strange stirrup vessel in the form of a human head morphed into a potato. Deep-set eyes and mouth, monkey straddling his forehead. The Moche oftentimes featured seemingly everyday items in their pottery -in this case the potato. Moche artisans created a body of stirrup vessels that took on the form of their vegetation - maize, beans, yucca, squash, peanuts, and potatoes were favorites. Potatoes were an especially important crop in the highlands of ancient Peru where only below ground vegetables could be grown due to the high altitude. They were also common in coastal Peru where the Moche flourished. The monkey is another favorite of the Moche artisans. They appreciate the human-like qualities, as in the monkey's antics we continue to see parodies of ourselves. 7-1/2" H.

Provenance: Ex- Ex-prominent Hollywood, CA collection acquired from Ron Messick Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM

All items in this auction are legal to buy/sell under U.S. statute covering cultural patrimony per United States Code 2600, CHAPTER 14 -- CONVENTION ON CULTURAL PROPERTY, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

  • Condition: Wear to the pigment, else quite excellent

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June 13, 2014 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000