Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 400 to 800 CE. One of my favorites! A copper finial or top of a staff, with the rounded socket serving as the body of a deer. The head of the deer, complete with large ears and antlers, rises from one side of the finial. A curved tail rises from the other. Four loops on the body - one under the head, one under the tail, and two at the sides - hold small, round bells that dangle down below the body of the piece. Size: 3.25" W x 2.85" H (8.3 cm x 7.2 cm); 4.2" H (10.7 cm) on included custom stand.

A recurring theme in Moche artwork is the "deer hunt" (Caza del Venato), when nobles, elaborately dressed, hunted the animals with nets, spears, and clubs, catching them as sacrifices whose blood would be used for ritual purposes. The deer's shedding of its antlers, seen as symbolic of the yearly cycle of the harvest, was a major part of this conception.

Provenance: ex-Dr. Alan Fleischer collection, acquired 1970-1990

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#138118

Mottled coppery and green patina on surface. Small chip from ear of deer, but otherwise in beautiful condition. One of the bells is still functional. Form is very clear.