Lot 61
Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca, ca. 100 to 400 CE. A lovely polychrome bowl with a rounded bottom and gently convex walls, finely painted with eight prone stingrays in red, chocolate brown, white, and orange around the outer walls against a red ground. Exhibits the finest technique - slender walls and gracefully attenuated contours. Size: 6.375" W x 2.875" H (16.2 cm x 7.3 cm)
The stingray was sensibly feared by Andean humankind as its dorsal spine became a lethal weapon when this sea creature was provoked. In addition, stingray spines which had a sharp edge and poisonous venom were highly valued as blood letters used during sacrificial rituals. The bloodletting practice was believed to sustain the cosmos. Hence the stingray embodied a characteristic Pre-Columbian duality as it was both deadly and at the same time life affirming.
Provenance: ex-private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection
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#126696
- Condition: One nearly invisible, stable fissure on side wall. Otherwise normal surface wear commensurate with age and nice firing cloud on underside.
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