Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chavin, Jequetepeque valley, ca. 700 to 400 BCE. A charming and rare example of a stone mortar in the form of an armadillo, one half of a mortar and pestle used for grinding materials needed to ingest hallucinogenic drugs. The interior is hollow for storage. The armadillo has a long nose, rounded ears that project forward, and incised round eyes. The shoulders of the animal are carved to resemble its armor-like shell. The animal's bust sits atop a rounded projection that conceals a storage area. Size: 1.5" W x 2" H (3.8 cm x 5.1 cm)

Armadillos are fascinating animals, often thought of in New World mythology as an "anomalous animal", because of its shell over its mammalian body. Its prodigious digging abilities led to it being associated with agriculture and the subterranean world, linked with the dead. South American myths describe armadillos being asked to help dig graves. The meaning of depicting drug paraphernalia as an armadillo probably relates to the symbolic links between shamanism and death.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Westermann collection, Germany

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.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#123826

  • Condition: Small chip to one ear. An adhesive mark on the back of the head. Slight encrustation/deposits.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

May 25, 2017 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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