Lot 8
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Vicus culture, ca. 100 BCE to 400 CE; Nazca culture, ca. 200 BCE to 600 CE. A striking pair of pottery vessels from two of Peru's most distinctive ancient cultures. The first, a Vicus jar, is modeled in the form of an anthropomorphic head, its rounded body surmounted by a tall neck and twin lug handles at the shoulder. The face is carefully rendered with almond-shaped eyes, a small protruding nose, and pursed lips, imparting a sense of quiet humanity. Vicus ceramics are known for their bold figural forms, often used in funerary contexts to honor ancestors and convey the presence of spirits within the tomb. Accompanying the jar is a Nazca painted bowl, its interior decorated with polychrome motifs of abstracted birds executed in cream and red over a russet ground. The Nazca were famed for their mastery of ceramic painting, producing vivid designs that echo the vibrant imagery found in their famed geoglyphs and textiles. Size of jar: 4.9" L x 4.3" W x 7" H (12.4 cm x 10.9 cm x 17.8 cm); of bowl: 7" L x 7.3" W x 3" H (17.8 cm x 18.5 cm x 7.6 cm)
Together, this pair highlights the remarkable diversity of Pre-Columbian Peruvian artistry, contrasting the sculptural realism of Vicus portraiture with the dynamic abstraction of Nazca painting.
The bowl in this lot has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.
Provenance: private Colorado collection, USA; bowl: ex-Minerva Gallery, Sebring, Florida, USA, January 3, 2025, lot 55 ; ex-Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired prior to 1970; face vessel: ex-Freeman's-Hindman Auctions, Chicago, Illinois, USA; ex-Donald Wonder collection (1938-2023), California & New Jersey, USA, thence by descent
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#196634
- Condition: Jar has been professionally repaired some chipping along visible break line as well as near spout. Both have expected surface wear with nicks and abrasions as shown. Otherwise, bowl is intact and both have very nice presentations and liberal remaining detail. TL holes to rim and base of bowl.
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