**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Sican / Lambayeque or Chimu culture, ca. 750 to 1370 CE. A silver drinking vessel with portrait-like face, gazing forward intensely with a beak like nose protruding and repousse surface and diamond shaped eyes. These silver cups known aquillas (or kero when made of wood) were for ceremonial purposes that incorporated intricate religious libations and imbibing rites. Given how this is high quality 99% silver the visage most likely represented an elite individual or mythical deity figure and may have been a burial good. To create this piece, the ancient metalsmith hammered a thin silver sheet upon a fine-grained stone anvils and hammer stones - sometimes with animal hide attached to prevent scratching, and a wooden template was used to create the form and its repousse ornamentation. Size: 2.75" Diameter x 5" H (7 cm x 12.7 cm); silver quality: 99%; weight: 34.5 grams

Provenance: private Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA collection

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#178002

Creasing and folding to thin silver as shown. Tears and perforations to base and sides of vessel. Softening to repousse details and areas of dark toning and patina.