Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chancay, ca. 1000 to 1400 CE. A fine hand-carved wooden mask with a bright crimson hue brought forth by applied red cinnabar. The face has a wide profile with diamond-shaped eyes colored with white and black pigment, a tall nose, and a miniscule mouth curved into a slight smile. The enormous forehead is wrapped in a colorful textile headwrap comprised of tightly-woven camelid (alpaca or llama wool) fibers in hues of red, purple, gold, and blue, and a loosely-woven wrap comprised of natural cotton fibers in a tan color. Colorful motifs of abstract geometric shapes are densely-packed into the wide textile, and the sash is used to secure everything to the mask. A truly exquisite work of art from this storied Pre-Columbian culture! Size: 9.75" W x 10.75" H (24.8 cm x 27.3 cm).
Chancay wood carvings are best known for their simple forms and sober visages. The Chancay artisans used wood found in their coastal deserts to create tools for sophisticated textile work, decorative objects, masks, and statues. Human heads, like the one featured in this example, were oftentimes placed upon the mummies of important individuals as a mark of their elite status as a deity or ancestor - an identity bestowed upon these important individuals after death.
Provenance: ex-private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection; ex-Ron Messick collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#138114
Condition
Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, some separation of pupils from eyes, with fraying, losses, and some staining to textile components, and light roughness across most surfaces. Light earthen deposits throughout. Metal bracket on verso for suspension.