Large Wari Wood Staff Finial w/ Ancestor Face & Reptile

Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Wari (Huari) culture, ca. 700 to 1000 CE. An impressive hand-carved wooden staff or finial with a head atop a lengthy pole with an uncarved, paddle-shaped base. The upper body is relief carved with a lizard creature decorated with incised linear and triangular motifs. Above the reptile is a large anthropomorphic face featuring a stylized visage with diamond shaped eyes and a petite mouth with prominent nasolabial folds under the protruding nose and headdress. This may represent a living person or shaman of rank, a deity, or an ancestor. Ancestor veneration would become a significant part of Inca religious practice and was most likely important to earlier cultures, such as the Wari as well. The wood has developed a smooth and lustrous patina over the ages. Size: 28" L x 3.5" W (71.1 cm x 8.9 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Drimmer collection, Florida, USA, before 1965

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#165153
Condition Report: Loss to head of figure and to base tip. Chips and abrasions to verso and high pointed areas. Stable pressure fissures and old inactive insect holes. Smooth patina.