Menu
EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBNicoya Polychrome Trophy Head Vessel
Lot 151
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
Categories
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,600 - $2,400
Absentee vs Live bid
Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
May 18, 2023
Set Reminder
2023-05-18 10:00:00
2023-05-18 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient | Asian | Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-asian-ethnographic-art-12797
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient, and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Fossils, more! All legally acquired, legal to sell. Satisfaction guaranteed. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient, and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Fossils, more! All legally acquired, legal to sell. Satisfaction guaranteed. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (399)
- Lot Description
**First Time At Auction**
Pre-Columbian, Atlantic Watershed, Costa Rica, Nicoya or Guanacaste region, ca. 300 to 500 CE. A wonderful pottery vessel in the form of a trophy head decorated with war paint and wearing an elaborate headdress that doubles as the flared mouth of the vessel. The evocative visage gazes out from wide eyes beneath straight brows displaying a sharp nose with flared nostrils, prominent cheekbones, a down-turned mouth, and a pointed chin, all flanked by naturalistic ears. Designs of steppe motif adorn the headdress, as well as the forehead and cheeks, here connected by a slender band just below the hairline. The practice of taking human heads as warfare trophies or during ritualistic sacrifice to bring about agricultural prosperity was ubiquitous throughout Pre-Columbian cultures and this piece exemplifies the practice of headhunting in a less gruesome and highly artistic manner! Size: 6.4" W x 7.25" H (16.3 cm x 18.4 cm)
Artists in ancient Costa Rica and nearby Panama sculpted and painted disembodied human trophy heads. Ethnographic accounts from the region describe a practice of taking trophy heads during warfare. Although the ancients' use of war as a tool for acquiring resources and consolidating control under specific leaders is similar to ours today, pre-Columbian warfare also had a supernatural element to it. The taking of the head was related to shamanism, and the purpose was to protect the community from any evil, including disease and sorcery. If a shaman's head was taken, then due to the shaman's supernatural skills, his head was still believed to possess power, even when separated from the rest of the body.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-prominent lawyer Stanley L. Kaufman collection
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.
#178400Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting in areas. Some light surface wear as shown, but otherwise has an excellent presentation with nice pigments.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
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.
-
- Buyer's Premium
