Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Huacho region, Chancay culture, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. A remarkable hand-built pottery vessel of unique form with 2 tapered feet, a rounded bulbous body, and a concave rim over a deep basin connected via a petite ribbon-like handle at the rim and a thick tunnel on the body to the hollow torso of a deer. Also standing upon 2 feet, the delightful deer exhibits a spherical torso, a brief cylindrical neck, and a sizable head. A long snout sticks out before the adorable animal, sporting an incised mouth and half-moon shaped nose, as the creature gazes forward through almond-shaped eyes, topped with petite horns and round ears flanking a small sphere atop its head. Boasting a lustrous burnish on the bowl, this rare piece is additionally adorned in hues of creamy beige and sienna throughout. Size: 15.25" L x 7.75" W x 10" H (38.7 cm x 19.7 cm x 25.4 cm)

A recurring theme in pre-Columbian Andes artwork is the "deer hunt" (Caza del Venato), when nobles, elaborately dressed, hunted the animals with nets, spears, and clubs, catching them as sacrifices from which the blood would be used for ritual purposes. The deer's shedding of its antlers, seen as symbolic of the yearly cycle of the harvest, was a major part of this conception.

Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection; ex-Paul Shepard collection, Primitive Arts Gallery, Tucson, Arizona , USA, acquired in 1980; ex-private Phoenix, Arizona, USA collection

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#160987

Repaired from several pieces with head reattached. Blue pigment on proper right antler. Expected minor nicks/chips and scratches throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with excellent remains of pigment.