**Originally Listed At $3000**

Pre-Columbian, Northern Coast of Peru, Cupisnique / Chavin culture, ca. 1250 to 500 BCE. An enticing pottery stirrup vessel in the form of a seated shaman in the process of a hallucinogenic trance, presenting huge eyes with bulging pupils indicating drug-induced dilation, a crooked mouth, and arms held nervously to his chest in an anxious posture. Note the artist's use of texture in the rough surface of his body sharply contrasting the smoothness of his limbs, suggesting he is enveloped in a furry tunic or perhaps undergoing shamanic transformation into a fur-coated animal. A prominent spiral ornament projects from the top of his head, accentuating the hypnotic nature of this exquisite piece. Size: 5.7" L x 4.8" W x 8.9" H (14.5 cm x 12.2 cm x 22.6 cm)

The relationship between the Chavin culture and the Cupisnique culture is not well understood and the subject of ongoing archaeological investigations, and the names are sometimes used interchangeably. The Chavin people lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The artwork of Chavin represents the first widespread style in the Andes. The center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing jaguars, serpents, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic features. At the very center is a towering stone stela depicting an anthropomorphic figure with a jaguar head and a human body, believed to be Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin. Researchers believe that worshippers ingested hallucinogenic drugs and then were led in the dark through the labyrinthine passageways - the eerie acoustics and complicated floor plan purposefully designed to disorient people before entering the central courtyard and coming abruptly face-to-face with the snarling features of the god. The San Pedro plant has hallucinogenic properties; ritual participants who ingested the substance may have perceived themselves transforming into one of several powerful animals such as jaguars or serpents.

According to the consignor, this piece has been published in "Chavin: Spirits, Shamans, and Hallucinogenics. Ancient Art from South America," Copenhagen: published in cooperation with the National Museum of Denmark, June 1995.

Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010

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#179861

Professionally repaired and restored with repainting in areas, but all done very well with indecipherable break lines. Some minor nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent presentation with impressive detail and light earthen deposits in areas.