Lot 145A
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 800 to 500 BCE. Wow! An amazing stirrup vessel in the form of a coiled, striped snake, its body incised with the needle of a cactus to give it a relief texture, its head bursting forth from the side of the vessel. The body is striped black and red, the face beautifully carved, with deeply curved eyebrows, wide, round eyes, and two slits for nostrils. The mouth is in a leering grin, its fangs clearly displayed. The handle of the stirrup is squared off, and a flaring spout rises from the center of the piece. Size: 5.9" L x 7.2" W x 10.3" H (15 cm x 18.3 cm x 26.2 cm)
The serpent (alongside the jaguar) is one of the most represented animals in the Chavin pantheon of mythological zoomorphic creatures. The Chavin lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing serpents, jaguars, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic figures. At the very center is a towering stone stela depicting an anthropomorphic figure with a jaguar head, a human body, and eyebrows and hair made of snakes. This is Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin. Researchers believe that worshippers ingested hallucinogenic drugs and then were led in the dark through the labyrinthine passageways before entering the central courtyard and coming abruptly face-to-face with the snarling features of the god.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex H. J. Westermann collection, Germany
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#126820
- Condition: Piece has been repaired and restored in multiple places, with overpainting on repair lines.
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| $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 |