Impressive Moche Pottery Bound Prisoner Vessel

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Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 24, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-03-24 10:00:00 2022-03-24 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-fine-art-9057
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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche III to IV, ca. 400 to 700 CE. A dramatic pottery vessel of a bound prisoner shown nude. Limbs spread and tied with ropes to a wooden grate, the tormented figure displays a slender body with thick legs, attenuated arms, a recessed navel, and delineated genitalia. His huge head is turned towards the heavens, presenting an expressive visage of sunken, almond-shaped eyes, a petite, up-turned nose, and a wide mouth with 2 rows of tab-shaped teeth and a protruding tongue. Naturalistic ears flank his face, sitting just below the arching hairline of his lengthy coiffure that falls down his back. The top of his head exhibits an annular rim, leading to the hollow interior of the vessel, while an additional plank is shown on the verso. The entirety of the piece is enveloped in red pigment, while creamy beige slip adorns the ropes, the prisoner's teeth, and ends of the planks comprising the grate. Size: 8.1" W x 11" H (20.6 cm x 27.9 cm)
  
  Battles, captives, and executions are common themes in Moche art and warfare, often waged between competing Moche groups, involved the ritual execution of prisoners. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "In Moche art prisoners are often shown stripped of their clothing and other power attributes, such as weapons, headdresses, and earspools, as a sign of their defeat (Donnan and McClelland, 1999). Often prisoners with ropes around their necks and hands tied behind their backs are depicted being paraded by warriors."
  
  Cf. Ethnological Museum of the State Museums in Berlin, 17575 and 48078.
  
  Provenance: private Hidden Valley Lake, California, USA collection; ex-Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, USA, "2019 June 25 Ethnographic Art: American Indian, Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art Signature Auction - Dallas #5412," lot 70319; ex-Robert and Carolyn Nelson collection; ex-David Bernstein Fine Art, New York, New York, USA
  
  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.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #170469

  Condition

  Repairs to proper right foot and plank, right arm and plank, and small area of rim. Expected nicks, abrasions, and a few minor chips. Areas of fire darkening. Otherwise, excellent with nice remaining pigments.
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