Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chimu/Inca, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A bichrome pottery stirrup vessel with a near-spherical body in the form of a jaguar head, featuring an expressive visage with incised almond-shaped eyes, a long nose, scores of whiskers above an open mouth full of sharp fangs. The handle compliments this iconography with a petite simian creature perched at the juncture of the stirrup and emerging vertical spout. The jaguar symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. The principal deity of the Moche, whose ceramics inspired subsequent Peruvian cultures including the Chimu/Inca, wears a headdress adorned with a jaguar head and paws and important mortals donned similar headdresses. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery. Monkeys have always fascinated humankind, with their playful antics that seem to mirror and at times parody humans. Understanding simian creatures as mimics of human culture, most ancients of the Americas also regarded the monkey as a mediary between man and the supernatural. A lovely redware vessel with whtie highlights from these indigenous of ancient Peru, impressive for its artistry, technical prowess, and symbolism. Size: 5.5" W x 8.25" H (14 cm x 21 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Private Ventura County, CA collection

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#118625

  • Condition: Losses to spout. Normal surface wear with pigment losses as shown. Nice areas of manganese deposits.

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January 19, 2017 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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