**Originally Listed At $15000**

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador to Chile, ca. 1400 to 1500 CE. Very large deep brown hard stone mortar carved in the form of a six-sided star with deep circular well surrounded by raised ring. Each star point with slight raised edge. You can see how this was created using an exhaustive pecking process and then smoothed using stone burnishing. Bottom is smooth and slightly convex. Entire surface is enhanced with an almost thick patina from years of use and subsequent burial. A gorgeous example of a rarely found object! Size: 19" W x 4.375" H (48.3 cm x 11.1 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA collection, acquired before 1995; ex-South American collection, acquired 1950's

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.

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#124772

Repaired from 2 pieces, minor chips on edges, some as large as 1" L, most much smaller. Still a large impressive example!