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LOT 2747
Pre-Columbian Black Ware Terracotta Oil Vessel
CHIMU CULTURE, CIRCA 900 A.D.
4 1/2 in. (117 grams, 11.4 cm).
Amphora-shaped vessel with two loop handles and a funicular neck. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Paracas, May 1978.
Acquired on the UK art market since the 1990s.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman; thence by descent.
Accompanied by a previous catalogue information slip.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 2747
Pre-Columbian Black Ware Terracotta Oil Vessel
Estimate £80 - 100€93 - 116 (for guidance only)$108 - 135 (for guidance only)
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Pre-Columbian Black Ware Stirrup Vessel with Birds Heads
Chimu Culture, circa 1100-1500 A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £30
Globular jar with broad base, stirrup-type neck and spout; lateral bird-heads to the shoulder and band of pounced texture with reserved wave-pattern detailing. 315 grams, 22 cm wide
Acquired on the UK art market since the 1990s. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman; thence by descent. -
South American Inca Ritual Stone Conopas of an Alpaca
Circa 1400-1532 A.D. or laterEstimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Carved hollow vessel with tiered mane and hooked tail, opening to upper face. 230 grams, 10.3 cm
Acquired on the UK auction market. Property of a Suffolk, UK, gentleman.
These effigies were created to bring prosperity to owners and herds. Offerings would be made, placing coca leaves and other items within the cavity. -
Pre-Columbian Semilunar 'Tumi' Bronze Knife
Inca, 500 A.D.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £389
Curving blade and rectangular shank to the 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.
