Originally offered at $500...

Pre-Columbian, North Coast of Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 500 to 300 BCE. A fantastical pottery stirrup vessel in the form of a harpy eagle, the distinctive crest at the top of the head - projecting like ears to the sides and vertically above the hooked beak. The harpy eagle was an apex predator of the sky, a supernatural being of the heavens and a major deity in the Chavin religion. The Chavin people revered animals that inspired strength and ferocity: jaguars, anacondas, and the harpy eagle. Their hunting prowess, and stealth would have been metaphors for the power of the Chavin gods, notably Lanzon or "smiling god", their chief deity, whose body was depicted as a combination of all these animals! Size: 5.75" Diameter x 8" H (14.6 cm x 20.3 cm)

Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

#174901

Repaired and restored, with infill along break lines and restoration to eagle crests and beak. Nice areas of dark firing clouds and mineral deposits on surface.