Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca, ca. 100 to 500 CE. A remarkable, hand-built pottery vessel in the form of a seated figure wearing a zoomorphic headdress resembling a fox. Adorned in hues of maroon, burnt orange, cream, and black, the fascinating figure is shown with both legs bent before him and hands held to his chest as he gazes outwards from wide, target-motif eyes beneath arched brows. Parallel striations of whiskers flank his up-turned nose, which is embellished by a black dot, just above his full, closed lips. His foxlike headdress features a long, projecting snout, a round nose, an open mouth with bared, jagged teeth, and circular eyes, all between a pair of petite ears. The rest of the fox's body hangs down the verso of the figure, displaying 4 limbs with sharp claws and a lengthy tail. The rim of the vessel is displayed at the top of the headdress, curving inward above the hollow interior of the figure. Size: 3.75" in diameter x 7" H (9.5 cm x 17.8 cm)

In many cultures, foxes are seen as tricksters, or evil omens; however, in the Andes, they are connected to agricultural fertility and are seen as the bearers of grains and plants. The earliest vessels from the Nazca also sometimes portray people wearing headdresses made from fox pelts, and archaeological finds from the Paracas culture, which predates the Nazca, confirm that fox pelts were worn if not by living humans, then at least by mummy bundles of their remains. These are thought to connect to religious ceremonies relating to the planting season.

Provenance: ex-private Drimmer collection, Florida, USA, before 1965

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#165205

Collection label and collection number on base. Repair and restoration to head and headdress of figure. Some light abrasions. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining pigments.