Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chimu, ca. 1100 to 1470 CE. An impressive blackware stirrup effigy vessel in the form of a stingray with an adorable monkey perched atop the stirrup handle. Sculptors of the ancient Americas depicted powerful sea predators such as stingrays, sharks, and killer whales as they were associated with warfare and military might. In this example, the vessel depicts a stingray with an expressive, perhaps human, visage comprised of round bulging eyes and u-shaped nose on one side of the stirrup and the fins and tail on the other side. The stingray was sensibly feared by Andean humankind as its dorsal spine became a lethal weapon when this sea creature was provoked. In addition, stingray spines which had a sharp edge and poisonous venom were highly valued as blood letters used during sacrificial rituals. The bloodletting practice was believed to sustain the cosmos. Hence the stingray embodied a characteristic Pre-Columbian duality as it was both deadly and at the same time life affirming. Size: 6.75" in diameter x 6.75" H (17.1 cm x 17.1 cm)
Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s
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#145312
Condition
Handle reattached and loss to spout as shown. Normal surface wear commensurate with age.