**Originally Listed At $300**
Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca, ca. 1 to 700 CE. A vibrant hand-built earthenware olla of a round-bottomed piriform shape, extensively decorated with a mesmerizing register of trophy head tasters and trophy heads delineated in hues of russet red, tawny orange, creamy beige, black, and white. Archaeological evidence from the 20th century shows that the stylized trophy head so prevalent in Nazca artwork was based on actual rituals. Over one hundred mummified trophy heads were found during Nazca excavations! Size: 5.375" W x 6.125" H (13.7 cm x 15.6 cm)
Archaeologists specializing in this culture continue to argue over the significance of these heads. Did they represent Nazca warriors fallen in battle? Were they part of a ritual associated with taking the power of enemies by assuming ownership of a crucial part of their bodies? Were they collected as remembrances dedicated to deceased relatives? Scholars are still investigating, using the artwork on pieces like this to better understand this practice.
Provenance: private Orlando, Florida, USA collection; ex-Antiques and Artifacts, Cape Coral, Florida, USA, before 2010
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 customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most Antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. #162722
Condition
Expected surface wear with minor scuffs and abrasions commensurate with age. Areas of slight pigment loss, but most remains and decorative/iconographic program is still vivid. Small chips to rim. Half inch hairline fissure from rim. Old collection number handwritten on bottom.