Pre-Columbian, Chancay, modern day Peru, ca. 1000 to 1470 CE. A delightful ceramic vessel in the form of a human with a comical, cylindrical face, a rounded body, and a llama or other camelid held on his back. The figure stands atop a second rounded body that is painted to look like a woven surface, maybe a basket. Tiny hands and feet project from the sides of the vessel, as does the head of the camelid and the "ropes" that the figure is using to hold the animal in place. With two strap handles low on the body. Made to hold chicha, a fermented drink crucial to religious and burial rites as well as ritual celebrations around planting and harvest time. Chica was made from maize, quinoa, or squash, with a local alcohol content and fermented through the use of saliva - women chewed the food and then boiled it in water, leaving the enzymes from their mouths to produce the malt for fermentation. Size: 4.7" W x 9.8" H (11.9 cm x 24.9 cm)

Provenance: ex collection of Lewis Land

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#132044

One handle has a very well done and difficult-to-see repair; otherwise in excellent condition. Small chips from painted surface but overall very nice preservation of motifs.