Pre-Columbian, Peru (Ecuador border), Chavin Maranon, ca. 900 to 200 BCE. A fascinating pottery bottle boasting a unique, abstract form resembling a spondylus shell or sea urchin, with a round yet stable base, a bulbous body, a curved shoulder, and a narrow neck that stretches up to a flared rim. Hand-painted in vibrant orange and pale-yellow slip, the intriguing vessel features dozens of protruding nodules that envelop the exterior, each incised with 4 lines that meet at their center to give the appearance of a petite, square pyramid. The vessel takes a slightly cuboid form, exhibiting 4 sides, each displaying a large, smooth ring. The placement of these rings divides the vessel into quarters with the spout rising from the center creating not only a harmonious form, but also abstractly representing an important organizing principle of Andean cosmology. Size: 5.4" Diameter x 9.8" H (13.7 cm x 24.9 cm)

The Chavin represent the first widespread artistic tradition in the Andes (and are often compared to the Olmec in terms of inspiration for later periods), and they worked to make elaborate designs even though the advanced molding and firing techniques that would come to Peru later had not yet developed. Vessels like this one were very popular, and were probably made to hold chicha, a fermented corn beer drink. The figure depicted on this vessel is probably Lanzon. Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin, is carved on a towering stone stela kept inside the labyrinthine Old Temple, one of the earliest built parts of the massive, flat-topped pyramid at the center of the Chavin capital, Chavin de Huantar. Lanzon is depicted with a jaguar head with huge fangs and hair made of snakes.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-private Hans Jurgen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950 to 1960s

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#171851

Repaired with restoration and repainting in areas. Expected nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with great remaining details and pigments.