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LOT 2601
Pre-Columbian Ceramic Erotic Vessel
CHIMU, 9TH-15TH CENTURY A.D.
6 in. (402 grams, 15.2 cm).
Ovaloid body with a line of geometric decoration supporting an embracing couple engaged in coitus, conical tapering neck with some chips to the rim. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private family collection of Ersula Barter-Hemmerich, the longest serving member of staff working at the United Nations, her private collection formed in the 1950s and 1960s; thence by descent to her grandson.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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AUCTIONS:
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Aztec Stone Seated Figure
Mexico, 1400-1500 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Carved seated figure wearing jaguar-skin cowl shown with hands resting above the abdomen with recess to accept a sacred object; mounted on a custom-made stand. 288 grams, 97 mm (436 grams total, 13 cm including stand)
with Sotheby's, Parke Bernet, 31 May 1975, no.292. Private collection, London, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The jaguar-skin cowl is an emblem of power and shamanic transformation in Mesoamerican cultures and was particularly adopted by the Aztec civilization to harness the power of the predator. This piece shows an interesting patina of lines and wear, possibly from exposure to water from ancient times. -
Pre-Columbian Stone Spindle Whorl with Cross
16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Plano-convex in profile with incised segmented cross to underside. 30.2 grams, 39 mm
Acquired from Coincraft, London, UK. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. Accompanied by a Coincraft certificate of authenticity. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
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Moche Tumbago Royal Janus Portrait Figure with Inlaid Eyes and Teeth
300-600 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Hollow-formed janiform mask with possibly later shell inlays to the eyes and grimacing mouth; mounted on a custom-made stand. 305 grams total, figure: 60 mm wide (17.3 cm including stand)
Wally and Brenda Zollman, Indianapolis; acquired prior to 1989. Splendours of the World (Jerry Bock), New York, USA. Acquired from the above at a New York fair by the present owner, circa 2017. Part of the Zollman Collection which was published by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1989. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12892-237876. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This striking and fine example of Moche metalwork shows the feline deity with threatening snarl and teeth finely carved in shell. This fine and powerful example would have been made for an important individual as a symbol of power.
