Huari Wood Bowl w/ Portrait Faces in Relief

Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Huari (Wari) culture, ca. 700 to 1000 CE. A rare wooden dish featuring four heads carved in relief upon the exterior. The vessel rests on a flat base, and the walls rise upward to a thick rim and a shallow basin. The faces evenly spaced along the vessel and are identical with a stylized visage of a forward-facing man with a rectangular head, short brow, triangular nose, wide eyes, and rounded ear ornaments. These faces represent lords, the elite rulers of Huari society. The arid conditions of southern Peru beautifully preserved wooden objects from this culture. A wonderful piece of unique Huari artistry! Size: 4.5" Diameter x 2.125" H (11.4 cm x 5.4 cm)

The Huari/Wari culture began to develop during the late Moche era. This culture, centered on a capital to the south of Moche territory in the central highlands of Peru, rose as the Moche culture fell apart and before the Chimu asserted themselves on the north coast. They had extensive contact with other regions in the Andes, most notably the Tiahuanaco in present-day Bolivia, and the Nazca and the Pachacamac on the south and central coast of Peru. Hence there is no homogenous Huari style. Instead we see a wide range of visual expressions in their carvings and ceramics.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Eugene Lions collection, Geneve, Switzerland, collected 1960 to2000

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#162988
Condition Report: Stable pressure fissures and cracks on interior, exterior, and base. Old inactive insect holes. Abrasion and chips to one face. Chip to rim. Old inventory labels on base. Nice patina and the other three faces are well preserved!