Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. A fun vessel in the form of a seated owl with a somewhat human-like face. Finely sculpted, and painted a red-brown with cream-colored highlights, the figure is replete with details; it clutches a serpent in its claws, and has a large conch shell on its back. Its long beak is hooked downward over a very human-like mouth with visible teeth - a feature real owls do not have! The face is heart-shaped and sleek, with huge, bulging eyes, and the wings are painted with fine designs. The stirrup handle rises from the top of the head and the side of the conch shell, meeting in a broad curve with a short, slightly flared spout rising from its center. Size: 7.5" L x 5.25" W x 9.9" H (19 cm x 13.3 cm x 25.1 cm)

The owl is frequently associated in South American iconography with the underworld, death, and shamanism. The Moche seem to have had a particular affinity for the animal, depicting multiple species, including the barn owl, typical owl, burrowing owl, and spectacle owl. They are used to depict gods, warriors, sacrifices, and shamans, as this one probably is. A large anthropomorphic owl was also the chief supernatural warrior of Moche mythology.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex H. J. Westermann collection, Germany

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#127013

  • Condition: Base is repaired and restored. Nice remaining pigment.

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October 12, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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