Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Inca, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A finely crafted ceramic stirrup vessel representing a camelid, most likely a llama, finished in white slip with black painted details. A stirrup handle emerges from the back and rises to a rimmed spout. The painted checkered flanks are representative of woven fabric, capturing the patterns of a draped cloth, hinting at the Inca's rich textile traditions. Stirrup spout vessels were the predominant ceramic form throughout the Pre-Columbian Peruvian region from the earliest cultures beginning around 1000 BCE until the conquest of the Inca in the 15th century. These vessels were often used for ritualistic purposes and buried with the deceased. The iconography of the llama is significant, for the Inca did not have horses or cows, so llamas provided the Inca with wool, food, and a way to transport goods. Although they were not worshiped, llamas were integral to their folklore and the Inca believed that llamas could talk. The side tongue sticking out sideways is perhaps a playful reminder of the llama's loquacious past. Size: 7.25" L x 2.5" W x 8" H (18.4 cm x 6.4 cm x 20.3 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-K. Klassen collection, Seattle, Washington, USA, acquired by 1990

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#109000

Old inventory label on the base. Minor nicks to rim and surface wear commensurate with age. Nice painted details and intact!