Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Inca, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A fascinating hollow huaca figure hammered and molded from sheets of electrum, a gold silver alloy, soldered together with attached ears and feet. Nude with a protruding phallus and a smiling face, he is a mellow fellow, perhaps due to the bulge in his left cheek which indicates that this man is chewing on coca leaves, hence his trance like gaze. The openwork ears might have once held earrings, and the prone body may have been wrapped in textiles or adorned with feathers. The figurine, known as a huaca, is part of a larger votive depositing ceremony undertaken by high-ranking Inca citizens and members of royalty known as "capac huaca," or "royal obligation," to appease the gods as well as mark the geographic boundaries of the empire. Size: 3.5" L x 1.5" W (8.9 cm x 3.8 cm); electrum quality: 54.6% (equivalent to 13K+) gold, 42% silver; weight: 14.6 grams

Such miniature figurines wrought in precious metals were handed over as offerings to accompany human sacrifices during the ritual of “capacocha,” which translates to royal sin or obligation. Upon the death of an Inca king, Capacocha took place. This ritual was used to incorporate new territory into the rapidly expanding Inca empire. Local lords selected unblemished children who represented the human ideal to Cusco. These children were then married and presented with miniature human and llama figurines made of gold, silver, copper, and shell. The human figurines hold their hands clasped to their chests - a gesture of reverence. Next, the children and their figural offerings returned to their original communities. There they were ceremoniously honored before being sacrificed to the mountain gods.

A similar example is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with additional information on huacas, please refer to the Met's website and accession number: 1974.271.7.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Taylor and Sandy Dale collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in London in the 1990s; ex-Guillermo L. collection, London, UK

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#174673

Choice. Minor indentations and abrasions, otherwise intact and excellent. Dark patina and toning. Pin-hole piercings in feet for display stand.