Pre-Columbian, Chancay, modern day Peru, ca. 1000 to 1470 CE. An incredibly well-preserved slab figure, probably of a female (which nearly all Chancay figures are), with a simple body - fingers made by piercing small holes in the front of the slab, just a suggestion of genitalia - and a highly decorated head. There are small holes pierced in each ear, which were probably at one point given metal rings, perhaps made of gold. The face is painted with red and black, in an elaborate pattern, that may reflect the facial tattoos of real individuals in this culture. The simplicity of the body in contrast to the face may suggest that these figures once had textiles or some other kind of covering; alternately, the facial tattoos may simply have been the most important parts of identification for these people. Pottery from the Chancay culture is often found in the cemeteries of the Ancon and Chancay valleys; the Chancay produced large quantities of funerary ceramics in specialized workshops. These figures are often placed in male and female pairs, perhaps as guardians of tombs. Size: 2.75" W x 6.25" H (7 cm x 15.9 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Peter Arnovick collection, San Francisco, CA

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