Lot 7
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Moche, ca. 200 to 600 CE; Chimu, ca. 900 to 1400 CE. A compelling pair of ancient Peruvian pottery vessels, each a distinct expression of Moche and Chimu artistry. The first is a Moche stirrup-spout jar modeled in the form of Ai Apaec, the fanged decapitator deity, rendered here as a spider. The bulbous body of the vessel is sculpted with raised ridges evoking the segmented form of the arachnid, while the stirrup handle and vertical spout rise above, completing its ritual presence. Ai Apaec was a fearsome protector figure in Moche cosmology, often associated with sacrifice and fertility, and his manifestation as a spider highlights the culture's connection between divine power, nature, and ritual transformation. Vessels of this type were likely used in ceremonial contexts, offering both practical function and potent religious symbolism. Size of larger (Moche): 6" L x 5.5" W x 7.3" H (15.2 cm x 14 cm x 18.5 cm)
The second vessel is a Chimu portrait jar, distinguished by a modeled human head with a stern visage and high headdress. The large almond-shaped eyes, prominent ears, and incised details of the garment suggest an individualized representation, part of the celebrated Chimu tradition of portrait effigies. Such vessels, often interred in tombs, were not only funerary offerings but also reflections of rank and identity, serving as lasting markers of the deceased's social presence in the afterlife.
Together, these two vessels capture the continuity and evolution of Andean ceramic traditions, from the dramatic ritual imagery of the Moche to the portrait realism of the Chimu. Each embodies the cultural values and spiritual beliefs of its society, offering rare insight into the visual language of ancient Peru.
For a similar Chimu portrait vessel, please see the Davis Museum of Wellesley College, object number 1986.227.
Provenance: private Colorado collection, USA; (spider stirrup jar): ex-Freeman-Hindman's Auction, Chicago, Illinois, USA; ex-Donald Wonder (1938-2023) collection, California & New Jersey, USA, thence by descent; Figure: ex-Cass City, Michigan, USA collection; (portrait jar): ex-Sotheby's, lot 5HG3, April 2001; ex-Andre Emmerich
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#196950
- Condition: Both have been professionally repaired and restored. Perforations to shoulder and base of portrait jar. Expected weathering to surface. Liberal remaining detail and scattered earthen deposition throughout. Old inventory numbers on base of each.
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