Pre-Columbian, north coast of Peru, Chavin culture, ca. 900 to 200 BCE. A large stone basin, presumably used for the ritual preparation of hallucinogenic drugs, hand-carved from a soft blue-grey stone, with gently sloping sides and a rounded base. The smooth surface of the bowl has a pleasingly cool, almost silky feeling. Size: 14" W x 3.2" H (35.6 cm x 8.1 cm)
The Chavin lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing jaguars, serpents, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic figures. At the very center is a towering stone stela depicting an anthropomorphic figure with a jaguar head, a human body, and eyebrows and hair made of snakes. This is Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin. Researchers believe that worshippers ingested hallucinogenic drugs, prepared using basins like this one, and then were led in the dark through the labyrinthine passageways before entering the central courtyard and coming abruptly face-to-face with the snarling features of the god.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex private Westermann collection, Germany
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#131980
Condition
Light surface wear commensurate with age including small chips from rim.