Pre-Columbian, north coast Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 900 to 200 BCE. A lovely gathering of three hand-carved lapis lazuli drug mortars exhibiting mottled cobalt blue hues with beige, gray, white, and orange-brown inclusions. Each mortar has stocky walls surrounding the interior basin, a flat base, and a thick rim. One mortar bears vertical incisions interspersed with concentric circles, another has diagonal striations, and the central vessel showcases incised rectangular panels, all accentuated with faint remains of red cinnabar. Displayed together on a custom pyramidal stand. Size: 1.1" W x 1.1" H (2.8 cm x 2.8 cm); 2.5" H (6.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from the 1950s to the 1960s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#156980

Each mortar repaired from multiple small pieces, with restoration in some areas of loss, and resurfacing with light adhesive residue along new material and break lines. Each piece has minor abrasions to rim, walls, and base, with fading to cinnabar additions, and light softening to some incised details. Nice stone color and light cinnabar remains throughout.