A wonderful Platform Figure from the Chancay culture of Peru, ca. 1000 - 1450 AD. The piece is 5-1/8" long and 2-3/4" high and portrays an elite individual reclining on a litter. He is wearing the traditional headdress and is painted overall in chocolate and cream pigment. Nicely sculpted body details and good painted decorations on the backrest. A rare example!
A gorgeous Chimu textile panel from Peru, ca. 1000 - 1200 AD. It measures 21" x 6" and depicts a series of sharks executed in a variety of brilliant colors. Attached to fabric, ready to frame.
An excellent Recuay figural vessel from Peru, ca. 1 - 650 AD. This fine orangeware example is 7-1/2" high and depicts an important individual wearing a complex headdress that forms a second spout, an identifying characteristic of this type. The arms and legs are molded in high relief and the body is decorated with zoomorphic designs executed in negative resist style. Overall in excellent condition, with good mineral deposits. ... Click for details
Superb! Ancient Pre-Columbian Stirrup Vessel, Moche Phase IV, North Coast, 400 - 550 A.D. On this polychrome pottery bottle, two animated warriors, their faces covered with fox face masks, carry round shields, war clubs and tumi sceptres. A strong sense of forward motion is conveyed by leaning bodies and long strides. The warriors wear decorated long skirts, trapezoidal belt ornaments, and conical helmets. 10-3/4"H x 5-3/4"D, intact/choice condition, save minor surface wear. ... Click for details
Superb! Ancient Pre-Columbian Gold Armband, Wari / Huari culture, ca. 650 - 1100 A.D. Thin, embossed gold sheets repousse with faces, serpent/snakes and skeleton masks. Examples like this usually were reserved for gods or royalty. These ancient peoples worked their gold by hammering it into fine sheets which could be cut with stone shears, then decoratively embossed. The gold was naturally very pure and enabled the ancient pre-Columbian craftsmen to progress quickly to discovering metallurg... Click for details
Early and rare! Ancient Pre-Columbian Stone Bowl, Xiochopola, Guererro/Olmec culture, ca. 1000-500 B.C. Green speckled stone bowl with incised decorations on the outside that feature three monkeys playing ball - probably depicting the ancient ballgames so prevalent in Messo-American culture. Trees in the background. The Olmec were among the first Mesoamerican peoples to use stone in sculpture even though it had to be quarried in distant mountains. 8-1/2"D x 2-5/8"H, remarkably intact/choice... Click for details
Ancient Pre-Columbian Tumi, from the north coast of Peru, Sican culture, ca. 900 - 1100 A.D. Large ceremonial knife, silver-copper alloy with extensive incised detailing. Features the god Naylamp, mythical founder of Sican society who, according to legend, emerged from the sea and became a god. The Sican culture was known for the production of arsenical copper, which is the closest material to bronze found in prehistoric New World archaeology. 11"H x 3-3/4"W, intact/choice condition. Museum... Click for details
From the Gulf coast of Mexico, ca. 900 to 1100 A.D. A very large and impressive standing figure of an obviously male dancer; of hollow, buff terracotta with remains of black bitumen decoration. Stylized figure stands nude with open mouth, wearing earrings, protruding flange to one side of body, round cuffs at shoulders and draping across the torso. Museum-quality custom mount. 27"H x 13-1/2"W, repaired from about a half dozen large pieces, affecting center, arm, neck (no restoration, all ori... Click for details
Very cool piece! Ancient Pre-Columbian Stone Mortar, Chavin de Huantar culture, ca. 1200 - 200 B.C. Green speckled stone carving in the shape of a frog depicting shamanic transformation; underneath is carved out to hold any number of hallucenogenic herbs which would be ground by a pestal-type implement. Why a tranformation? Because snakes and frogs are natural enemies, and the only way a frog would have been depicted with a snake on its back like this would be if this were actually a man/sham... Click for details
Ancient Pre-Columbian Stirrup Vessel, Moche Phase IV, North Coast, ca. 500-700 A.D. Polychrome pottery vessel depicts Ai Apec, Moche demon of the underworld in a sitting position with hands resting on knees, face with grimmace-bearing fangs, recessed eyes and heavy brows. Flanked by two serpent/snake heads, bodies extending down back. With cream slip and traces of tattooing. 8"H x 7-1/2"D x 5-3/4"W, intact/in generally excellent condition. ... Click for details
