Description:

Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, Phase III, ca. 350 to 550 CE. A hand-built pottery stirrup vessel (an early type of beer bottle secured to one's waist through the use of a strap) with a stable base, a broad, apple-shaped body with a rounded shoulder, a stirrup-shaped handle, and a gently corseted spout. Depicted in relief on each side of the vessel is the fanged god Ai Apec (also Ai Apaec or the "Wrinkle Face" deity) - with a feline headdress, a serpent emanating from his belt, and a terrifying grimace - as he firmly pulls the hair of a combatant. Ai Apec's foe wears a feline mask with large almond-shaped eyes and striped tunic and "skirt." Both hold a tumi with the foes holding a trophy head in his right hand. Ai Apec is perhaps readying his large tumi, a ceremonial knife, to take the foe's head as his personal trophy. Size: 5.75" W x 10.125" H (14.6 cm x 25.7 cm)

Provenance: private Ferndale, Michigan, USA collection; ex-private Detroit, Michigan, USA collection, acquired prior to 2004

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#182539

  • Condition: Minor chips to rim else intact and excellent.

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November 30, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000