**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chancay, ca. 1000 CE. A lovely doll with a head, torso, limbs, fingers, and toes comprised of natural reeds - the limbs wrapped in deep pink and cocoa brown cotton threads and the body adorned with various textiles. The visage presents ovoid brown and cream hued eyes, a long nose stitched in pink threads, a slightly open mouth in pink as well, chocolate brown wavy yarns for hair cascading past her shoulders, and a finely woven headband with geometric motifs in umber, sienna, beige, and black wrapped around her head. She is dressed in tunic over a long skirt or dress - the tunic finely woven with stylized geometric motifs in crimson red and tawny beige, and the skirt/dress painted with a tone-on-tone yellow and golden ochre pattern. Size: 9" H (22.9 cm)

Scholars believe that such dolls were created to represent mortals rather than supernatural deities or spirits. Unfortunately most of the purportedly "ancient" Peruvian dolls on the market are in fact made in contemporary times and only comprised of collected ancient textile fragments. This example, however, is in fact an authentic ancient doll. A fabulous example that displays exceptional skill and various techniques, intriguing for its expressive visage, reed limbs with the digits meticulously defined and wound with threads, long curly brunette locks, and finely woven vestments.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany

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#139244

Minor areas of expected separation and fraying of fibers with minute tears here and there. Still, a very strong example with natural fibers in remarkably good condition given its age.