Originally offered at $900...

Pre-Columbian, Northern Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 1200 to 800 BCE. A hefty pestle hand-carved from a mottled brown and green stone with light and dark inclusions. The conical pestle has a tapered handle and a bulbous grinding head. Pestles were used for grinding hallucinogenic substances in preparation for consumption; however, they were also used for more utilitarian tasks like pulverizing foodstuffs or grinding medicinal ingredients. Size: 10" L x 2" W (25.4 cm x 5.1 cm)

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

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#165676

Chips to handle tip. Minor abrasions to handle and pounding head, as expected with use and age. Intact and smooth surfaces.