Description:

Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca culture, ca. 100 BCE to 800 CE. A hand-carved wooden inhalation tube used when ingesting snuff, in the form of a highly abstract lizard with notched legs on the top and a rounded head on the bottom. Inserted into the top is a small knob-ended stick for unclogging the pipe. This item was part of the drug paraphernalia employed by many people in ancient Peru and Chile. Wooden inhalation tubes like this example are found in burials alongside wooden spatulas, snuff trays, mortars and pestles, and other items for the ingestion of snuff. The mixture, prepared from resin, leaves, and ground seeds, was used in part to induce a hallucinogenic state for shamanic ritual. Size: 0.7" W x 3.8" H (1.8 cm x 9.7 cm); 5.2" H (13.2 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany

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#145268

  • Condition: Minor abrasions and nicks to lizard feet, stick, and mouthpiece, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits and nice patina throughout.

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May 21, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
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