Pre-Columbian, Northern Highlands of Peru, Congoyape, Chavin, ca. 1200 BCE. A brownware stirrup vessel of a most unusual form from a very early Andean culture, the Chavin. The sculptor envisioned and created a vernacular dwelling with a gabled thatched roof trimmed in red upon a hill or mountainside. A voluminous stirrup sprouts from the rooftop, and the quaint domicile sits upon the vessel's circular lower body. The texture of the roof and the grassy field were created with cactus thorns - perhaps from the San Pedro cactus, whose branches contain a hallucinogenic substance that were used for traditional medicine and rituals. The border of the roof or eaves were embellished with a notched motif and painted red. The other surfaces were meticulously stone polished/burnished. Size: 9.5" H (24.1 cm)

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. Akin to the artisans of other ancient cultures, the Chavin depicted elements of the natural world as well as the built environment in their pottery.

Published in "Chavin: Spirits, Shamans, and Hallucinogenics", Copenhagen, Denmark.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, ex Westermann Collection, Germany, Published in "Chavin: Spirits, Shamans, and Hallucinogenics", Copenhagen, Denmark.

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#136588

Chips and repairs to spout. Normal surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise excellent with nice mineral deposits and wonderful burnishing marks.