Pre-Columbian, northern Peru, Inca, ca. 1300 to 1500 CE. A very fine bi-chrome black-on-tawny brown glazed terracotta jaguar with beautiful feline markings adorning its coat - standing on all fours with a curled tail and genitalia delineated beneath. Its expressive visage is comprised of incised almond-shaped eyes, a long nose, scores of whiskers above a closed mouth that is more than likely full of sharp fangs. Such a magnificent presence! The handle compliments this iconography with a petite simian creature perched at the juncture of the stirrup and emerging vertical spout. A fabulous vessel from these indigenous of ancient Peru, impressive for its artistry, technical prowess, and symbolism. Size: 9.5" L x 10.125" H (24.1 cm x 25.7 cm)

The iconography of this vessel is replete with layers of symbolism. The jaguar stood for power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. The principal deity of the Moche, whose ceramics inspired subsequent Peruvian cultures including the Inca, wears a headdress adorned with a jaguar head and paws, and important mortals donned similar headdresses. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery. Monkeys have always fascinated humankind, with their playful antics that seem to mirror and at times parody humans. Understanding simian creatures as mimics of human culture, most ancients of the Americas also regarded the monkey as a mediary between man and the supernatural. Depicting both jaguar and monkey, this piece possesses great symbolic meaning.

Provenance: private Boston, Massachusetts, USA collection

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#126122

Minor surface wear, otherwise intact and excellent.