Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, Loma Negra, ca. 300 to 100 BCE. A fine gathering of two intriguing pieces from ancient Peru. First is a slender spoon, comprised of 64% gold (equivalent to 15K+ gold) on one side and silver (30%) on the other, depicting a slithering snake with a thick tail which doubles as the scoop, a sinuous body, and a conical head with inlaid turquoise eyes. Second is a heavy copper poporo of a round-bottomed, teardrop-shaped form covered in a layer of gilding with a large interior cavity for holding lime powder. Custom museum-quality display stands included. Size (snake): 3.75" H (9.5 cm); 5.625" H (14.3 cm) on included custom stand; quality of gold: 64% (equivalent to 15K+); quality of silver: 30%; total weight: 6.7 grams. Size (poporo): 1.7" W x 2.8" H (4.3 cm x 7.1 cm); 4.7" H (11.9 cm) on included custom stand; quality of gold: 25%; total weight: 42.7 grams.

Poporos or lime containers were part of the ancients' coca-chewing implements. They were made from various materials - including shell, stone, wood, bone, ceramic, and gold - throughout the Andes of South America for thousands of years. Traditionally, the indigenous chewed coca by placing some leaves in the cheek and gradually adding powdered lime made from calcined shells from the poporo with a spoon like this example in order to enhance the stimulating effect. A poporo consists of two pieces: the receptacle and the lid which includes a pin that is used to carry the lime to the mouth while chewing coca leaves; this example does not include a lid. Since the chewing of coca is sacred for the indigenous people, poporos are also attributed with mystical powers and social status.

It should be said that any goldwork from the Moche is exceedingly rare, as their treasures were targeted by plunderers during Colonial times. Heidi King of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York offers the following explanation in "The Art of Precolumbian Gold": "The Mochica or Moche as they are also known, built their capital in the dry, coastal valley of Moche, where the main construction was the Huaca del Sol, the so-called Pyramid of the Sun, the largest adobe structure built in Pre-Columbian South America. The great pyramid, made of over 143 million adobe bricks, was clearly visible and easily accessible during Colonial times, and it received extraordinary attentions from early treasure hunters (Bray this volume). As a result of such attentions, little of the wealth in precious metals that the Moche peoples are believed to have possessed remains in its ancient form today. Those works that do remain are all the more important because of their rarity." (The Art of Precolumbian Gold: The Jan Mitchell Collection" edited by Julie Jones. Boston: Little Brown & Company, 1985, p. 212)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Fred Leighton collection, New York City, New York, USA;ex-Alexander Alcevedo, Alexander Gallery, New York City, New York, USA

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#144340

Both items have slight bending to overall forms, and minor abrasions, otherwise intact and excellent. Nice patina and light earthen deposits throughout.