Lot 85
Pre-Columbian, South Coast of Peru, late Paracas or early Nazca, ca. 200 BCE to 400 CE. A breathtaking find - a forehead ornament hammered from a thin sheet of over 19 karat gold in the form of a tumi, topped by a pair of wooden hummingbirds with golden wings, beaks, and eyes and remains of colorful feathers on their bodies. The crown is flared at each end with a narrow mid-section and a surface covered in rows of raised dots with liberal remains of red pigment. Size: 10.9" Diameter x 5.5" H (27.7 cm x 14 cm); 11.9" H (30.2 cm) on included custom stand; metal quality: 82% gold (equivalent to over 19 karats), 15% silver, 2.8% copper; weight: 20.9 grams
To the ancients of the Pre-Columbian world, hummingbirds were associated with the sun. Appreciated for their shiny, iridescent feathering and aerial acrobatics, hummingbirds made for ideal solar metaphors. Since these birds are known to hover, seemingly motionless, and fly up, down and even backwards, the ancients likened their motions to that of the sun's hovering in the sky at the solstices when it is also known to reverse its celestial direction. In addition, hummingbirds can assume a torpid state when it is cold at night or during brief periods in the winter. However, they come back to life in the spring warmth. This unique ability to "die" and "resurrect" signified rebirth to the ancients of the Americas, precisely at a time when planting and, in this sense, "renewed life" occurred. How magical!
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 2000 to 2010; ex-H.J. Westermann Collection, Germany, collected 1950s to 60s
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#185189
- Condition: Small areas of professional repair to lower right corner and beneath right hummingbird. Some minor chips to edges as well as wrinkles and indentations to surface. Otherwise, very nice with clear decoration and liberal remains of red pigment and feathers. Patina to wood and clear decoration on gold.
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