Pre-Columbian, North Central Peru, Inca, ca. 1470 to 1523 CE. A wonderful redware ritual watering vessel known as a paccha in the Quechua language - with a near-spherical body and a flared spout, the body in the form of a jaguar head featuring an expressive visage with incised almond-shaped eyes, a long nose in somewhat higher relief, scores of whiskers above an open mouth full of sharp fangs with a centra perforated protrusion for pouring libations such as corn beer into the earth and twin attached ear lugs on the shoulders, flanking the tubular neck rising to a flared rim. Size: 5.5" in diameter x 7.75" H (14 cm x 19.7 cm)
The iconography of this vessel is highly symbolic, as 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. The principal deity of the Moche, whose ceramics inspired subsequent Peruvian cultures including the 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. A lovely blackware vessel from these indigenous of ancient Peru, impressive for its artistry, technical prowess, and layered symbolism!
Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s
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#141535
Condition
Normal surface wear commensurate with age. There is some sediment within. Surface is covered with nice root marks