Pre-Columbian, Northern Peru, Inca, ca. 1438 to 1533 CE. A wonderful redware vessel in the form of a catfish, with a long body, a horseshoe-shaped head presenting beady eyes and an open mouth that reveals many teeth delineated in low relief, fins delineated in high relief, and a tall spout with a bowl-shaped mouth emerging from the back. The surface boasts a rich russet red hue and is covered with black dots, while the underside is a creamy beige. Inca peoples who lived near the coast enjoyed fish in their diets. Using reed boats known as caballitos de tortora (little reed horses) so named for the straddled manner in which they are ridden, fisherman caught sea bass, tuna, salmon, sardines, anchovies, shellfish, as well as sea catfish (Galeichthys peruvianus). Size: Size: 10.125" L x 4.25" H (25.7 cm x 10.8 cm)

Provenance: private Hidden Valley Lake, California, USA collection, purchased September 5, 2019; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Dr. Fischer collection, Germany

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#170701

Intact with only minor surface wear. Hole at one tip of the tail suggests this was a whistling vessel.