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94
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Portrait vase of dignitary with veil
Polychrome terracotta.
See original version (French)
94
-
Portrait vase of dignitary with veil
Polychrome terracotta.
See original version (French)
Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Portrait vase
of dignitary with veil
Polychrome terracotta. Ritual hole at the bottom of the vase
Mochica III-IV, 300 to 500 AD
29 x 14 cm
Provenance: former Arturo Aguinaga collection, Barcelona. Millon sale 1/12/2018, lot n°6 of the catalogue
Bibliography: Kunst und Kultur von Perou, M. Schmidt, ed. Propyläen-Verlag GMRH, Berlin 1929, p.131, fig. on the right for a similar work.
Portrait vases are one of the most distinctive expressions of Mochica ceramics. Produced between the 3rd and 7th centuries on the north coast of Peru, they are characterised by an individualisation of features unparalleled in pre-Columbian art: nose, cheekbones, mouth and expression are treated with a precision that suggests the representation of real people, probably sovereigns or high-ranking dignitaries. The stirrup handle, characteristic of Andean tradition, is used here to create a frontal figuration of great intensity. These objects were probably used in ritual and funerary contexts, as offerings to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Today, they are one of the most direct testimonies to individual identity in ancient Andean societies.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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