Description:

Inca, Peru, central highlands/ Andes, ca. 1400 to 1532 CE. An evocative Inca blackware aryballo (urpu) of globular form, flanked by twin lug handles and rising to a short neck with flat disc rim. The upper section is modeled as a human face, while a deeply incised serpent motif runs vertically down the body, symbolizing water, fertility, and the underworld. This vessel is not only an aryballos for holding and pouring chicha (maize beer) but also functions as a pacha (paccha) vessel, a sacred implement used to bless fields and feed the earth with ritual libations. In Inca cosmology, pacha signifies the ordered universe — time, space, and the three realms of existence. By channeling offerings directly into the ground, such vessels embodied the reciprocal relationship between humans, the earth (Pachamama), and the gods, ensuring fertility and abundance. Size: 5.5" W x 5.75" H (14 cm x 14.6 cm)

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; previously bequeathed to the Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, Israel, stored for many years and exhibited in 1988; ex-Yosef A. Maiman collection, Consul of Peru A.H., acquired in 1993; ex-Kate Kemper collection, Switzerland, acquired in the 1940s or earlier

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#197056

  • Condition: Intact and excellent with a few small imperfections on surface.

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December 5, 2025 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000