Peruvian Virú Whistling Jar, Panpipe Musician

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Viru, ca. 100 BCE – 400 CE. A double-chambered whistling vessel joined by a strap bridge and a single tapering spout, with two rounded rectangular chambers. Atop one chamber sits a modeled musician, legs folded, hands raised to the lips, playing a panpipe beneath a broad brimmed headband. The vessel is constructed with an internal whistle mechanism: poured or rocked water displaces air through the mechanism, producing sound as though the figure is playing the instrument. The redware body still produces tone when air is passed through it. Remnants of black slip trace straight and zigzag bands across the chambers, the bridge, and the figure's headband. Vessels of this type are associated with ritual and funerary contexts in Virú culture. Size: 6.5" W x 5" H x 3" D (16.5 cm W x 12.7 cm H x 7.6 cm D).

The Vicus culture flourished in the far north of Peru, in the Piura valley near the Ecuadorian frontier, a crossroads where highland, coastal, and northern Andean traditions mingled. Vicus ceramics are noted for their vigorously modeled figures and their command of the whistling-vessel tradition, a technology shared across the ancient Andes from Chavin through Moche and Nazca. These vessels exploit hydraulics and trapped air: tilting or filling the chamber forces air across a concealed fipple, producing tones that would have animated the object in ritual performance. That the whistle was concealed within the figure of a panpipe player is a deliberate conceit, fusing the sound of the vessel with the image of the musician so that the effigy seems to play the very note it produces.

Provenance: private Saint Louis, Missouri, USA collection, acquired between 1970 and 1995

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 #

203925

Condition
Professionally repaired with restoration over some break lines and chipping along other visible break lines. Chip to spout and some light surface wear in areas. Otherwise, excellent presentation with good remaining detail. Still produces a light whistle when blown.

Buyer's Premium
30%