Lovely Nazca Polychrome Bowl w/ Snakes, ex-Museum

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Fauna, Flora, Stones & Bones

By Artemis Gallery

Jul 13, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-07-13 12:00:00 2021-07-13 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fauna, Flora, Stones & Bones https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fauna-flora-stones-bones-7214
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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca, ca. 250 BCE to 125 CE. A beautiful pottery bowl displaying a round yet stable base and thin walls that rise to an annular rim. Adorned in hues of burgundy, burnt orange, cream, and black, the ancient dish boasts an intricate decoration on its interior basin featuring 2 snakes with lengthy, sinuous bodies that zigzag across the interior walls creating a maze-like design. Size: 5.5" in Diameter x 1.875" H (14 cm x 4.8 cm)
  
  Snakes and serpents provide a fascinating element of Pre-Columbian iconography as they were regarded to be a beneficial source of nourishment and at the same time quite deadly with their poisonous venom. Also important to the indigenous was the fact that snakes shed their skin annually thus rejuvenating themselves and serving as symbols of renewal and good health. The existence of two heads on each snake depicted on this piece may suggest the bicephalic serpent which was a signifier of high rank in various Pre-Columbian world views. These two-headed beasts were regarded as sky bands that arched over the earth or surrounded the seas serving as a passageway for the planets and stars of the celestial realm. This motif decorated articles associated with individuals of high rank, thus associating them with the powers of this mighty creature.
  
  Provenance: ex Ashland University Museum, Ashland, Ohio, USA, donated to Ashland University between July 1994 to December 1998
  
  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.
  
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  #165792

  Condition

  Collection label on base. Repaired from at least 3 pieces with restoration and some repainting. Otherwise, very nice.
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