Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Inca, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. Made from folded, rounded, and stamped sheets of silver soldered together, this is a depiction of a dancer. He stands on an integrated flat sheet of silver that forms a base, his bare feet in very low relief as part of it. He wears a tunic and a skirt, and holds two items that may be rattles or some other instruments. His face is serious, as if concentrating; he appears to be wearing spooled earrings and a rounded cap with very lightly incised lines forming a woven pattern over the top of the head and around its brim. Size: 2.65" W x 3.95" H (6.7 cm x 10 cm); 4.15" H (10.5 cm) on included custom stand; 37.6 grams total with included lucite stand.

Spanish chroniclers of the 16th century repeatedly describe the importance of music and dance to Inca life. They recorded festivals and celebrations, described a variety of instruments made from many materials, and, through their Christian viewpoints, labeled as demonic the Incan use of music to communicate with the ancestors and heal the sick. The Inca however saw music as imbuing one with a supernatural power. This beautiful figure references that tradition, commissioned of precious silver and displaying excellent craftsmanship.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex Hirsch collection, Germany

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#131905

Small loss to bottom of base. Patina on surface from age and handling. Very slight bending to form but overall form and detail are excellently preserved. Figure is attached to the stand and cannot be easily separated from it.