Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 2421
Pre-Columbian Nazca Terracotta Vessel with Mythical Creature
100-700 A.D.
7 1/4 in. (713 grams, 18.5 cm).
Biconical vessel with conical underside and domed upper, two vertical spouts to the centre with flat-section bar between, painted frieze of creatures to the shoulder including severed heads. [No Reserve]
Provenance
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Literature
See Ligaube, G., The World That Wasn't There, 5 Continents, Milan, 2015, page 170, and Sotheby's, Pre Columbian Art, New York, November 1989, no.33, for similar examples; see also Pimentel V., Peru, Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon, 5 Continents Milan, 2013, p.48, for an almost identical example.
Footnotes
The depiction of severed heads being held by mythical creatures as trophies reflects a society where warfare was commonplace and celebrated through art.
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.
LOT 2421
Pre-Columbian Nazca Terracotta Vessel with Mythical Creature
Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
RELATED LOTS
-
Pre-Columbian Stone Taino Transforming Zemi Figure
Circa 1500 A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £910
Large carved hardstone model of a crouching figure with elbows resting on the knees and hands supporting the chin; the head modelled as a skull with exposed teeth, drilled eye-sockets and triangular nasal cavity; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 6 kg total, 34.3 cm high including stand
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
The population of the Taino people of the Dominican Republic and surrounding Caribbean islands may have been as high as 2 million by the 15th century. The Zemi, a spiritual figure forms a major part of their existing legacy and examples exist in many sizes including depictions in wood and stone. -
Pre-Columbian Grooved Stone Ritual Object
Circa 3rd millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £221
Ellipsoid plaque with deeply incised vertical and horizontal grooves, mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.10 kg total, 25.2 cm high including stand
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
This work, abstract in appearance with deep grooves cutting across what appears to be a face is most aligned with the arts of ancient Guerrero or specifically the Mezcala. In the late pre classic an array of stone carved figures and masks were produced often with minimal adornment and a clear preference for simple lines and forms. -
.jpg)
Pre-Columbian Nazca Terracotta Bowl With Arrow Design
4th-6th century A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £247
'Bell-shaped' bowl with rounded base, the exterior decorated with a polychrome geometric scheme including arrows, circumferential bands and quartered panels. 263 grams, 15 cm
Private U.K. family collection formed in the early 1970s. The property of Mr and Mrs P.R. of East Sussex. Thence by descent to family members.
