Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 2710
Nayarit Culture Terracotta Model of a House
CIRCA 200 B.C.-300 A.D.
5 1/4 in. (720 grams, 13.5 cm).
Rectangular in plan with flange rim to the thick base, one side open, gabled roof with broad eaves and tall finials; pigment detailing. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Previously in the private collection of Leo (1922-1979), and Evelyn D. Farland (1930-2025), New York; thence by descent.
Literature
See Holsbeke, M., Offerings for a New Life, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, 1998, photos 108 and 109, for similar examples.
Footnotes
Examples of Nayarit dwellings provide an insight into the life of ancient West Mexico. Made of perishable materials, these terracotta examples often depict family gatherings, including domestic animals, often dogs. It is thought that these houses may represent individuals of higher status.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Pre-Columbian Polished Stone Axe Head
Inca, circa 1438-1533 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
Lentoid in section with transverse head, curved cutting edge. 670 grams, 14 cm
From the collection of a Hampshire, UK, gentleman, established from the 1960s. -
Pre-Columbian Semilunar 'Tumi Bronze Knife
Inca, 500 A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Curving blade and rectangular shank to rear with large central socket; square butt. 740 grams, 14.3 cm
Private collection, Israel. Acquired in the 1992. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The Inca inherited a sophisticated metalworking tradition whose origins long predated the rise of their empire. Drawing on skilled artisans from across their territories, especially the north coast, they produced a wide range of objects in gold, silver, copper, and bronze at centres such as Cuzco. Among the most characteristic metal forms of the Inca period were tumis, ceremonial knives typically made of copper or tin bronze, distinguished by a long, curved blade set at a right angle to the handle. These handles could be flat or cylindrical and were often ornamented, while loops at the top suggest that some were suspended from the belt or worn as pendants. Tumis held an important place in ritual life in the Andes and had long been associated with sacrifice, both in ceremonial practice and in visual imagery, where they frequently appear in the hands of deities or supernatural beings. This example is especially striking: the upper handle is formed as the strong talons of a bird of prey, and the textured shaft recalls the rough surface of a raptor’s leg. Such imagery would have carried powerful associations with death and sacrifice, as scavenging and predatory birds were naturally linked with both. The blade also preserves textile impressions, probably the result of long burial. -
Jalisco Culture Terracotta Seated Figure
Circa 200 B.C.-300 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Hollow-formed vessel with tripod, ellipsoid in plan with wide-brimmed hat and mantle to the shoulders; stubby hands presenting a studded mace; painted vertical stripe detailing to the mantle, pointillé necklace, broad stripes to the headgear. 242 grams, 16 cm
Previously in the private collection of Leo (1922–1979), and Evelyn D. Farland (1930–2025), New York; thence by descent.
