Lot 85
Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Vicus ca. 400 to 100 BCE. A dramatic pottery vessel in the form of a standing jaguar with a spotted coat and striped limbs. The ancient beast presents a plump body as it turns its head to the side, displaying almond-shaped eyes, a rectangular snout, and an open mouth of sharp teeth, all beneath a pair of perky, round ears. A sinuous tail coils at the animal's posterior as a pair of huge, conical spouts jut outwards from the creature's back, connected via a tubular, arched bridge. The Vicus culture is one of the earliest known ceramic making traditions in Peru, comparable to the Olmec in Mesoamerica, and, in this vessel, you can see the tradition that would lead to later styles like those of the Moche and the Inca. Size: 8.9" L x 3.9" W x 7.3" H (22.6 cm x 9.9 cm x 18.5 cm)
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. What's more, the principal deity of the Moche, another Peruvian culture, 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.
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection; ex-private Houston, Texas, USA, collection, acquired before 2000
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#167354
- Condition: Repaired from several pieces with restoration over break lines and some restoration to spouts and handle. Tip of 1 spout has small chip and visible break lines. Otherwise, excellent with nice remaining pigments.
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