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THBInca Basalt Vessel w/ Jaguar Heads and Serpents
Lot 107c
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$10,000 - $15,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Feb 18, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-02-18 10:00:00
2021-02-18 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-6373
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (356)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columiban, Peru, Inca Empire, ca. 1400 to 1533 CE. Important black basalt stone vessel with a jaguar head emerging from each end in high relief and four serpents also delineated in bas relief on the exterior walls of the vessel. There are two serpents on each side, and both pairs are carved as elegant mirror images of one another, their heads facing in opposite directions. In the Pre-Columbian world, animals were highly symbolic beings. Serpents were metaphors for rain and blood, two life-giving fluids. At the same time, they were viewed as creatures that portend great danger. Their ability to shed their skin each year, and thus rejuvenate themselves, also made them symbolic of health and renewal. Size: 11.5" W x 4.375" H (29.2 cm x 11.1 cm)
The jaguar signified 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. The principal deity of the Moche, whose ceramics inspired subsequent Peruvian cultures including the Chimu/Inca, wears a headdress adorned with a jaguar head and paws and important mortals donned similar headdresses. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery.
In their discussion of another Inca basalt vessel of a very similar form with snake motifs in the British Museum, Smarthistory scholars have suggested that it was probably kept in the Coricancha (Temple of the Sun) or nearby sacred buildings - most likely used to hold offerings or simply water as a means of seeing into the underworld via its reflective surface. The coiled - or in this case sinous - serpent bodies were most likely intended to resemble flowing water.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex Art of the new World Gallery, New York City, New York, USA; ex Fred Bauer collection, 2004
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#162451Normal wear commensurate with age showing chips/nick to rim, areas of jaguar visages, and other high-pointed areas.Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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