Attractive Inca Blackware Portrait Vessel

Pre-Columbian, North Central Peru, Inca, ca. 1470 to 1525 CE. A finely detailed blackware head pot, or coquero vessel, in the form of a male bust with detailed appliqued facial details, textured hair, and a wide basin with a deep cavity. A recessed neck serves as the base for a well-pronounced bust. The face features large ovoid-form eyes, a thin, protruding nose, uniform sideburns, and a slightly open mouth. A pair of tubular ears accentuate the symmetrical composition that is completed by bulging cheeks indicative of a coca leaf chewer. The surface has a lustrous sheen with rich black pigmentation. Size: 5" W x 5.5" H (12.7 cm x 14 cm)

For the Incas, the coca leaf was sacred and could only be consumed by the Inca nobility, though there were a few recognized exceptions. Due to its status, it was conservatively consumed following strict ritual practices. This ritual consisted of holding three coca leaves, joining them with two hands and offering them at high altitude. Then the leaves are blown as a sign of respect for the gods of nature such as the sun, the mountains, the lagoons, the earth, etc. At all times during this ceremony – participants are said to exhibit a solemn meditative reverence.

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010

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#164779
Condition Report: Slight softening of finer details. Minor nicks and consequential encrustations are scattered throughout the surface. Surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, in excellent condition and fully intact.