Lot 101A
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 900 to 500 BCE. A huge and heavy bowl, carved from a hard, red-brown stone, probably steatite. The deep interior is smooth, with steep sides and a wide, flat rim. Around the body are four fierce zoomorphic faces, shown in profile and low relief, each the head of a jaguar, distinguishable by its round ear, large eye and nostril, and enormous, overhanging fangs. Slightly higher relief circles stud the areas behind each animal head, perhaps meant to be spots or skin texture. The jaguar faces are probably meant to remind the viewer of Lanzon. Size: 9.65" W x 3.75" H (24.5 cm x 9.5 cm)
Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin, is carved on a towering stone stelae kept inside the labyrinthine Old Temple, one of the earliest built parts of the massive, flat-topped pyramid at the center of the Chavin capital, Chavin de Huantar. Lanzon is depicted with a jaguar head, a human body, and eyebrows and hair made of snakes. Modern viewers and archaeological accounts are rife with complaints that Lanzon in his current position in the temple is difficult to see, crammed into a space where one has to crane one's neck and push back against a wall to try to take in the full figure. It therefore seems likely that, as on this bowl, Chavin worshippers were drawn to contemplate and worship individual features of the god - the mouth, the hairline, the eye - rather than considering it as a whole. This incredible vessel invites you to do the same.
A much smaller but more interestingly-shaped Chavin steatite vessel sold for $33,600 in New York in 2007: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/rare-chavin-steatite-vessel-cupinisque-ca-900-4916288-details.aspx
Provenance: private Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA collection; ex Argentina collection acquired before 1960
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#124777
- Condition: Interior of rim has had a number of cracks stabilized; repairs are unobtrusive and almost impossible to see. Light scratching and pitting on the surface, but motifs are in excellent condition and very clear.
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| 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 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |