Stirrup vessel in the shape of cacao fruits
€1,400
available
Object number
AR3329
| Object: |
Stirrup vessel in the shape of cacao fruits
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| Material: |
Pottery with a dark surface due to reduction firing.
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| Period: |
Late Intermediate period, Chimú culture. 1000 AD to 1470 AD. A thermoluminescence report from the Kotalla laboratory from 1979 is available as a copy. It dates the piece to the period from 1150 to 1450 AD and thus confirms and narrows down the above dating based on comparative pieces. |
| Description: |
The so-called stirrup vessel has a body in the shape of three cacao fruits. Two fruits lie below, one lies on top, with the base of the stalk pointing in the opposite direction than the fruits below. A handle is attached to the top of the vessel. It is hollow with a circular cross-section, with an attached tubular spout pointing vertically upwards. On one side of the handle is a three dimensional decoration at the base, probably a highly stylized animal. The vessel was fired in an oxygen reduced oven so that the surface took on a dark, greyish-black colour. A typical technique of the Chimú. |
| Background: |
The stirrup vessels are characteristic of the ancient civilizations in what is now Peru. The richness of these vessels' design reached its peak with the Chimor. Also the manufacturing efficiency was optimized in the Chimor workshops. Monkeys, birds and ducks decorated the pottery as full plastic or relief, as well as squash, corn, cacao and other crops. The stirrup vessels are a mirror of the Chimor society and of the creatures and things that filled everyday life.
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| Dimensions: |
19.5cm height, 10.9cm width, 12.5cm depth.
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| Condition: |
Perfect condition. Except for tiny chips, for example to the upper edge of the spout, complete and intact. Sticker reading "4526" from a previous owner on the bottom. Unobtrusive holes from the TL test.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2022 on the German art market. Previously in the German private collection U. H. Acquired into the collection in the early 1980ies from the German collection P. S. Previously held by the well-known German antiquities dealer Ulrich Hoffmann, at the time known as Galerie Peruana, now known as Galerie Alt-Amerika. The mentioned thermoluminescence report from 1979 was probably ordered by Mr. Hoffmann.
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| References: |
Cf. Hessen Kassel Heritage, Staatliche Museen Kassel, acc. no. ETH 47 (Am S 43). Cf. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, acc. no. 66.58.4. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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