Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Moche, Phase III to V, ca. 500 to 800 CE. A fascinating, hand-built brownware pottery vessel in the form of a human left foot. The highly burnished foot features an arched sole beneath a smooth top, a veristic ankle bone and Achilles tendon, and five protruding toes replete with delineated nail beds. The 'neck' of the vessel consists of the lower leg and shin and has a rounded lip surrounding the broad mouth. Moche warriors would use vessels like this example for collecting the blood of dismembered captives in sacrificial ceremonies so they could summarily consume the sanguineous liquid in ritual fashion. A macabre yet intriguing piece of Moche artistry! Size: 6.125" L x 3.375" W x 6.6" H (15.6 cm x 8.6 cm x 16.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired September 20, 2006; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-I.M. Chait Auctions

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#164334

  • Condition: Upper leg above ankle repaired from several pieces with restoration and overpainting along break lines. Light abrasions to foot and upper leg with some areas of fire-darkening. Nice preservation to overall form.

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May 20, 2021 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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