Lot 141
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chimu, ca. 1100 to 1470 CE. A pair of elegant Chimu blackware vessels, each with its own distinctive form and iconography. The first is a rounded aryballos-shaped vessel with a tall flaring neck and four registers in relief, each stippled with textured ground and depicting stylized long-legged birds in profile. These avian figures, likely herons or cormorants, reflect the maritime culture of the Chimu, whose wealth and sustenance depended on the Pacific coast. The vessels symmetrical arrangement and lustrous dark finish exemplify the refined aesthetic of Chimu ceramics, in which surface decoration was often achieved through modeled rather than painted imagery. The second is a rare double-chambered bridge-spout whistle vessel. One chamber supports a tall, cylindrical spout while the other is surmounted by a feline figure. Size of larger (aryballos): 6.5" L x 4.8" W x 7.4" H (16.5 cm x 12.2 cm x 18.8 cm)
The feline clasps the head of another cat in its paws and raises it toward its mouth, an image that may reference predation, ritual consumption, or mythological narratives of power. When blown, the vessel produces sound, underscoring the performative and ceremonial function of such objects within Chimu ritual contexts. Together, these vessels illustrate both the technical mastery and symbolic range of Chimu ceramic art, combining naturalistic motifs with ritual function.
Provenance: private Pfafftown, North Carolina, USA collection, acquired in 2024; ex-private USA collection, acquired between 1950 - 1970
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#197286
- Condition: Whistling vessel still functions as a whistle. Small repair to rim of aryballos with break line visible, as well as chipping. Expected surface wear with nicks and abrasions to both. Otherwise, whistling vessel is intact and both are in very good overall condition with great detail and scattered earthen deposits.
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