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Pre-Columbian, Peru, Inca hinterlands (Chucu), ca. 1100 CE. A wonderful painted terracotta plaque depicting abstract animals in red, yellow, white, and black hues, shown in profile. Perhaps foxes or llamas, their minimalist form resembles rock art. Plaques like this example were placed as offerings to Pacha Mama and Pacha Papa (Mother and Father Earth) to protect the health of the livestock and the human inhabitants of the clan. There is a suspension mount/hook fitted to the verso. Size: 9.375"" W x 7.75"" H (23.8 cm x 19.7 cm)
These plaques were made by smashing large vessels and painting the fragments. They have been discovered in a number of different contexts: beneath wall foundations, in graves, with animal sacrifices, and cached in prominent places in the landscape, like in springs, rock hollows, and atop hills. They are often discovered in pairs, with the painted surfaces placed so that they are facing each other, sometimes wrapped in leaves or even gold sheet. Although the tablet tradition began centuries before, the time period that this one comes from represents the height of the artform, and corresponds to an intensification of agriculture, the rise of interregional trade networks, and the ascendancy of certain important confederations of clans. Into this potent mix, the Inca expanded into the region and the tablet tradition abruptly ended. It seems likely that the Inca, who colonized regions in part by sponsoring local ritual activities, outlawed the creation of religious tablets like this because they saw them as a threat to their trade in sacrificial alpacas, corn beer, and cloth.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
Provenance: ex-private Hillberg collection, Sonoma County, California, USA, acquired between 1960 and 1970
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#150799
Condition
Light surface wear. Beautiful preservation of motifs. Chips to rim. Grey/black pigment has developed a sparkling iridescence. Scattered mineral deposits. Plastic mount for hanging on verso.