Pre-Columbian, South America, Argentina and Chile, late La Aguada to Mapuche culture, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A rare grinding table carved from dark brown-gray stone of a rectangular form with a stable base, thick walls, and a concave basin likely used for meticulously pulverizing maize or other materials. Both longer walls are each adorned with an oscillating serpent bearing a diamond-shaped head with petite pecked eyes as well as a slender tail that terminates in a tip. Grinding tables like this example were perhaps used in ceremonial contexts given the intricate serpentine details along the walls. In the Pre-Columbian world, snakes were understood as both a beneficial source of nourishment as well as threatening due to their potent venom. Also important to the indigenous was how snakes shed their skin annually, thus rejuvenating themselves and serving as symbols of renewal and good health. Size: 11.7" L x 7.4" W x 4.1" H (29.7 cm x 18.8 cm x 10.4 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private T. Arias collection, Los Angeles, California, USA, formed between 1970 and 2000

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#157109

Minor nicks and pitting to some surfaces, with light softening to some snake details, otherwise intact and excellent. Great preservation to serpents and smooth surface textures. Old inventory label beneath base.