Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chavin, Cupisnique, ca. 1200 BCE. Quite rare, this vessel presents in the form of a fruit or phytomorphic form - cylindrical from the base, tapering as it rises, and resolving in a stem-like tip with an opening. The exterior walls of the vessel are finely incised with a mythological head that features a blend of anthropomorphic, jaguar, and harpy eagle features. The iconography of this piece is likely symbolic of the most important god of the Chavin pantheon, Lanzon, whose body was conceived of in Chavin artwork as a combination of powerful zoomorphic and anthropomorphic features. The art associated with the Chavín spread to the coast of Peru and as far south as the Paracas Peninsula. A very early example from this ancient Peruvian culture. Size: 3.5" W x 7.25" H (8.9 cm x 18.4 cm)

The Chavin people lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The artwork of Chavin represents the first widespread style in the Andes. The center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing jaguars, serpents, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic figures. At the very center is a towering stone stela depicting an anthropomorphic figure with a jaguar head and a human body, believed to be Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin. Researchers believe that worshippers ingested hallucinogenic drugs, in part using spoons like this one, and then were led in the dark through the labyrinthine passageways before entering the central courtyard and coming abruptly face-to-face with the snarling features of the god.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950 to 1960s

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#161489

Professionally restored from 8 pieces with resurfacing and overpainting along break lines which are nearly indiscernible. Some abrasions and chips to rim. Great preservation of motifs. Old inventory label on base.