Wonderful Vicus Double Spouted Parrot Whistle

About Auction

Live

Exceptional Antiquities | Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Oct 11, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-10-11 10:00:00 2018-10-11 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities | Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-art-3500
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (417)

• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, Peru, Vicus culture, ca. 200 BCE to 600 CE. A fantastic polychrome terracotta double-chambered vessel presenting an extensively detailed parrot perched upon the front chamber joined to the rear chamber by an upper curved handle as well as a tubular connection between the chambers below. The vessel bodies themselves are adorned by attractive, extensive abstract geometric decorative programs in red, cream, and black hues. But most striking is the parrot, modeled in the round and presenting a lively and expressive countenance with bulging eyes encircled by concentric black and cream markings, a pronounced hooked beak, a striped and dotted feathery coat - with openwork incorporated into the mouth, between the eyes, and on the back of the head to help produce a whistling sound. A beautiful vessel, which still functions and whistles! Size: 10.5" W x 8.125" H (26.7 cm x 20.6 cm)
  
  Parrots were highly revered by the ancients of the Americas for their brilliant plumage and ability to fly well above the tree line. To the ancients, these birds’ ability to talk in combination with their inhabitance of the sky world suggested that they served as intermediaries between humankind and the deities – or even as incarnations of sky deities.
  
  The Vicus culture is one of the earliest known ceramic making traditions in Peru, comparable to the Olmec in Mesoamerica, and in this vessel you can see the tradition that would lead to later styles like those of the Moche and the Inca. Vicus ceramics were in turn influenced by the Gallizano and Salinar cultures, north in Ecuador. We believe that Vicus ceramics like this piece played a role in funerary culture, as grave offerings, and in feasting, to drink ritual liquids.
  
  Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private New York, USA 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.
  
  #139220

  Condition

  Loss to tip of parrot's tail. Chambers reconnected - vessels repaired from about a half dozen pieces. Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Nice areas of mineral deposits.
• 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
  • 26.50 %