Lot 134A
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Huari (Wari) or Chancay, ca. 1200 to 1400 CE. A finely carved wooden mask from a mummy bundle, displaying a powerful visage dominated by huge, almond-shaped eyes of white shell inlay and crowned by a textile headdress hand-woven from camelid wool. The vizard is comprised of a short neck that supports the broad panel of wood carved with facial details such as arched brows, a pronounced nose, and a slender mouth flanked by prominent nasolabial folds. Very light remains of white pigment can be seen along the forehead and cheeks. The sober visage and generic features are part of the traditional mask style for adorning the mummified bodies, as they were not intended to be portraits, but a stylized representation the human face for important individuals as a mark of their elite status. After death, the status as deity was often bestowed upon these individuals and the mask became their permanent face. Size (without headdress): 6.6" W x 11.3" H (16.8 cm x 28.7 cm); 16.4" H (41.7 cm) on included custom stand; (with headdress): 13.5" H (34.3 cm)
This mask, stunning and evocatively staring outward, was created to last for eternity to receive the prayer and worship of ancestors.
The arid deserts that surrounded the homeland of the Chancay culture facilitated the natural mummification of deceased animals and humans, perhaps leading the Chancay to embrace the dried preservation of their dead, since embalming fluid was not necessary. They incorporated elaborate textiles into mortuary rituals and often wrapped the body in cloth after it was positioned in a seated or fetal position with the head resting on the knees. The mask created a face for the mummy to direct worship, but it was often placed on the top of the wrappings and might not actually rest where the head was positioned.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-New York, USA collection
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#173993
- Condition: Desiccation of textile with expected fraying, unraveling, staining, and discoloration. A few stable fissures to wood with some chipping to neck, chin, and forehead. Chips, nicks, and abrasions throughout, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice remaining detail.
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