Description:

Pre-Columbian, northwest Argentina, Early Period, Condorhuasi-Alamito culture, ca. 200 BCE to 500 CE. A haunting, life-size, anthropomorphic mask, hand-sculpted from a heavy, gray, volcanic stone. The mask is dominated by a pronounced brow ridge that nearly appears as the line of a helmet-like coiffure or headdress and then extends to a raised nasal bridge and a rectangular nose. Annular drilled holes represent the eyes and mouth, granting the vizard a minimalist yet awe-stricken countenance. The verso is gently concave, while a pair of circular perforations pierce the sides of the mask for attachment. Size: 9.1" W x 10" H (23.1 cm x 25.4 cm); 12.8" H (32.5 cm) on included custom stand.

This culture is from the Hualfin Valley in the Catamarca province of Argentina, although it seems to have had cultural influence or at least trading connections both north and south. The landscape was semi-arid and high altitude, similar to that of the American Southwest. The people of the region were llama pastoralists who created artwork in ceramic, metal, and stone, often with repeated themes - for example, masks made of lapis lazuli and copper have been found that look nearly identical in form to this one. Masks like this one were deposited into graves that were buried in the patios or inside the rooms of small houses in villages or, in some areas of the Hualfin Valley, segregated cemeteries. They seem to represent idealized images of the deceased.

Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.734.5 and 2016.734.4.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, before 2010; ex-private T. Misenhimer collection, Beverly Hills, California, USA, collected from 1970-2008

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#173840

  • Condition: Ancient chips to nose, left cheek, and some small areas of periphery. Light surface wear as shown. Otherwise, intact and excellent.

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August 18, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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