Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chavin, Tembladera, Jequetepeque River, ca. 1200 to 500 BCE. A mesmerizing figural spouted vessel depicting a crouching shaman, presenting an expressive visage with wide-open almond shaped eyes, a naturalistic nose, and an open mouth, raising his arms and placing his hands to either side of his head as if engaged in a trance, perhaps under the influence of the hallucinogenic effects of the San Pedro cactus whose branches contain a psychoactive substance that was used for traditional medicine and rituals. The shaman is elaborately decorated - bedecked with a 'beaded' necklace, a jaguar pelt headband, and large jaguar spots incised throughout his chest and back. His loincloth (which even has a strap that continues across the underside of the vessel), face, and ornaments are further embellished with post fire pigments. A very special example from this early Pre-Columian culture. Size: 5.875" L x 5.25" W x 10.125" H (14.9 cm x 13.3 cm x 25.7 cm)
The jaguar symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. As a nocturnal animal that sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, the jaguar also evoked great mystery. No wonder this wild feline captured the ancients' imaginations.
The Chavin people lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The artwork of Chavin represents the first widespread visual culture of the Andes.
Provenance: ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950s to 1960s
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#153231
Condition
Professionally repaired with resurfacing over the break lines. Expected surface wear with scuffs, nicks, and abrasions commensurate with age. Nice remains of red, yellow, and white pigment on the brown ground. Well-preserved details.