Stirrup-spouted vessel with sacrificial scene · Peru, Moche · ID: 3047025
Günther & Ursula Hartmann, Berlin, Germany
Description
fired clay/ ceramic, slip paint, inventory no. “1091607”, spout dam.
This vessel represents a mountain massif with five peaks. Between them, nine human sacrifices are arranged in relief, with a seated deity on the lower right, who attends the sacrificial rituals.
Mountains are considered sacred by many peoples of the earth. For their peaks represented the contact between heaven and earth - between the divine and the earthly, and they housed caves that were considered to be entrances to the underworld. For the Moche, too, the omnipresent mighty Andes were considered sacred and the Inca considered their peaks as deities “Apu”.
The object Stirrup-spouted vessel with sacrificial scene with the object ID 3047025 was part of the auction 95th Tribal Art Auction on October 24, 2020. The object with the lot number 57 achieved a sales price of EUR 12,000 with an asking price of EUR 2,000.
Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about American art and Pre-columbian art.
Expertise
Thermoluminescence Expertise, 14.06.1991, Ralf Kotalla, Haigerloch, Germany
Comparing literature
Berrin, Kathleen (ed.), The spirit of ancient Peru, San Francisco 1998, p. 118
Notices
This object is subject to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Export documents are required for export (subjected to a fee).