Lot 16
Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chavin culture, Late Period, ca. 500 BCE. A beautiful drug container of a miniature form, hand-carved from attractive dark brown stone, in the form of a stylized jaguar! The vessel contains 2 thimble sized cylindrical basins that form the body of the feline - the openings protruding from his back, a tightly coiled tail from one end and his large, head at the other. The surfaces are incised with liner and stippled markings and the face is deeply etched with a flared snout, furrowed brow, whiskers, and deep eyes- which may have been inlaid with colorful stones at one time. Research shows that Chavin people ingested hallucinogenic drugs made from cactus in ritualistic ceremonies and such containers may have symbolically held the appropriate amount to ingest. The jaguar was a supernatural being throughout pre-Columbian cultures, and an important cult deity in Chavin religion, famously depicted in the Lanzon stela as anthropomorphic and zoomorphic mix of snake, human, and jaguar. Size: 3.25" L x 0.75" W x 1.125" H (8.3 cm x 1.9 cm x 2.9 cm)
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Splendors of the World Gallery, Hawaii, before 2010
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#169774
- Condition: Repaired, tail end bowl is reattached with break line radiating from rim, base, and other side of rim. Chips to rims of basins. Jaguar head is excellent with sharp details. Light mineral deposits in recessed areas.
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