Description:

Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chancay culture, ca. 1000 CE. An exceptional Chancay star gazer. The Chancay culture settled in the valleys fifty miles north of Lima in the Chancay Valley between 900 and 1400 CE. The Chancay people were exquisite ceramic and textile artisans, and archaeologists have often found cuchimilcos in the tombs of Chancay nobility, as some scholars believe that their outstretched hands were intended to absorb negative energy. The Chancay artisans created ceramics that are quite distinctive in form and decoration. Hollow-body figures painted in dark brown-black on white, these pieces were typically more slapdash in appearance than the ceramics of their predecessors and contemporaries. However, this standing figure is an exception - boldly painted in that characteristic Chancay fashion - however infinitely more finely painted and molded with specific decorative details carefully added by hand. The function of such sculptures is still unknown. Some scholars believe that they were placed in tombs as companions or guardians of the deceased. 11"H x 7 1/2"W. Provenance: Ex-Westermann Collection, Germany, acquired in 1950s. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #107329

  • Condition: Intact with slight touchup to paint.

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April 16, 2015 8:00 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