Charming Chavin Pottery Stirrup Vessel

Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chavin, ca. 700 to 500 BCE. A fabulous mold-formed pottery stirrup vessel presenting a two-tiered form that resembles a vernacular house known as a chosa coated in a vibrant hue of sienna under a lustrous burnish. The ancient vessel exhibits a round yet stable base, a bulbous lower tier, and a conical top tier. A lovely incised geometric motif adorns the upper tier of the vessel as a tubular spout with a flared rim arches high over the piece. Size: 4.5" in diameter x 7.5" H (11.4 cm x 19 cm)

The Chavin people lived in the northern Highland Andes, and their capital, Chavin de Huantar, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The artwork of Chavin represents the first widespread style in the Andes. The center of Chavin de Huantar is a massive, flat-topped pyramid, surrounded by lower platforms. Between 1200 and 500 BCE the pyramid space was used for religious ceremonies. The Old Temple, constructed very early in the history of the site, consists of a series of passageways built around a circular courtyard; within were carved stone monuments showing jaguars, serpents, and other figures with transformative and/or anthropomorphic features. At the very center is a towering stone stela depicting an anthropomorphic figure with a jaguar head and a human body, believed to be Lanzon, the chief deity of Chavin. Researchers believe that worshippers ingested hallucinogenic drugs and then were led in the dark through the labyrinthine passageways before entering the central courtyard and coming abruptly face-to-face with the snarling features of the god.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-H.J. Westermann collection, Germany, acquired between 1950 to 1960

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#162826
Condition Report: Collection label on base. Repaired from a few pieces with restoration over break lines. Expected surface wear with a few light nicks/chips in areas, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressive pigments and nice earthen deposits on interior.