Description:

Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, ca. 100 BCE to 300 CE. A fantastic copper bell, finely cast to represent Ai-Apaec, the jaguar and underworld god, at the center holding a tumi and a trophy head in his hands - quite apropos as he was a simultaneously feared and adored deity who was also referred to as the "headsman"! What's more, scholars posit that during human sacrifices, when prisoners were decapitated, their heads were presented as offerings to Ai Apaec. In addition to its impressive artistry and iconography, this piece features nine spherical bells that still jingle along its lower periphery. Size: 4.7" W x 2.875" H (11.9 cm x 7.3 cm); 4.125" H (10.5 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950s to 1960s

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#159587

  • Condition: Normal surface wear commensurate with age with minute nicks to peripheries. Stunning green and verdigris patina. Nice remains of textile impressions on the surface; fragile objects like this only survived 2000 years because they were once wrapped in textile and reed mats.

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April 15, 2021 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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