Ica Polychrome Jar | Jaguar-Headed Mythical Figures
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Ica culture, ca. 800–1200 CE. A generous globular jar of buff ceramic, its swollen body rising to a short collar and outflaring rim. The upper zone carries a broad shoulder band painted in cream, red, and dark brown: three semi-abstract profile beings, each with a human-form body, an animal paw, and a jaguar head with bared muzzle. Beneath them runs a narrow register of stylized birds in silhouette, closed by a solid band; a stepped fret encircles the neck. The lower body is left plain and burnished. The capacity and wide mouth suggest storage of maize beer or foodstuffs, perhaps for feasting, while the mythological frieze marks it as more than utilitarian ware. Size: 14.25" Diam x 12.5" H (36.2 cm Diam x 31.8 cm H).
The Ica culture flourished on Peru's south coast during the Late Intermediate Period, heirs to the Nasca ceramic tradition and eventually absorbed into the Inca empire in the later 15th century. Ica potters are known for a tightly controlled geometric vocabulary, small repeating motifs, stepped frets, birds, and fish, laid out in banded registers over red and cream slips. Composite beings that fuse human bodies with feline heads belong to a long Andean lineage of predatory supernaturals, from Chavin onward, in which the jaguar signals power, transformation, and access to other realms. Large-format jars of this type are comparatively scarce; most surviving Ica vessels are bowls and small flasks, and the scale here implies a vessel intended for communal use rather than a single household.
Provenance: Private Chicago collection, acquired from Michael Higgins, Tucson.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73206
Condition
Two minor rim chips, and a couple of very minor small spots of paint wear, otherwise intact.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Ica culture, ca. 800–1200 CE. A generous globular jar of buff ceramic, its swollen body rising to a short collar and outflaring rim. The upper zone carries a broad shoulder band painted in cream, red, and dark brown: three semi-abstract profile beings, each with a human-form body, an animal paw, and a jaguar head with bared muzzle. Beneath them runs a narrow register of stylized birds in silhouette, closed by a solid band; a stepped fret encircles the neck. The lower body is left plain and burnished. The capacity and wide mouth suggest storage of maize beer or foodstuffs, perhaps for feasting, while the mythological frieze marks it as more than utilitarian ware. Size: 14.25" Diam x 12.5" H (36.2 cm Diam x 31.8 cm H).
The Ica culture flourished on Peru's south coast during the Late Intermediate Period, heirs to the Nasca ceramic tradition and eventually absorbed into the Inca empire in the later 15th century. Ica potters are known for a tightly controlled geometric vocabulary, small repeating motifs, stepped frets, birds, and fish, laid out in banded registers over red and cream slips. Composite beings that fuse human bodies with feline heads belong to a long Andean lineage of predatory supernaturals, from Chavin onward, in which the jaguar signals power, transformation, and access to other realms. Large-format jars of this type are comparatively scarce; most surviving Ica vessels are bowls and small flasks, and the scale here implies a vessel intended for communal use rather than a single household.
Provenance: Private Chicago collection, acquired from Michael Higgins, Tucson.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73206
Condition
Two minor rim chips, and a couple of very minor small spots of paint wear, otherwise intact.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
