Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chavin, ca. 900 to 200 BCE. An early incised inhalation tube made from two pieces of bone joined together by a ball of tree resin. Carved along the length of the body are glyph-like motifs of heads - perhaps showing an eagle, a jaguar, and anthropomorphic faces. The abstract form of the motifs means that they flow into each other, composed of simple curved and straight lines that create a dense iconographic pattern on the exposed bone surface. The tube curves slightly. Size: 1.7" W x 12.1" H (4.3 cm x 30.7 cm); 13" H (33 cm) on included custom stand.
Inhalation tubes like this one are found in burials alongside trays for spreading powder, spatulas, mortars and pestles, and other items for the ingestion of snuff. The mixture, prepared from resin, leaves, and ground seeds, was used in part to induce a hallucinogenic state for shamanic ritual. The faces represent animals and deities associated with the ritual of drug use in order to connect to the gods. In the center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing jaguars, serpents, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic figures. At the very center is a towering stone stela depicting an anthropomorphic figure with a jaguar head and a human body, believed to be Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin. Researchers believe that worshippers ingested hallucinogenic drugs, in part using spoons like this one, and then were led in the dark through the labyrinthine passageways before entering the central courtyard and coming abruptly face-to-face with the snarling features of the god.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Alexander Alcevedo collection, New York, USA; ex-Fred Leighton collection, Madison Avenue Jeweler, New York, New York, USA
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#136603
Condition
Small chip from the rim. Rich patina on the bone surface.