PRECOLUMBIAN ART : INCLUDING A SELECTION OF ... - Lempertz

20
*24
MIDDLE MOCHICA PAINTED VESSEL
Ca. A. D. 200-500
In cream and reddish brown with a series of
armed warriors with bodies in the form of spotted
and striped lima beans, each holding circular
shield, spears, and mace heads, adorned with helmets
composed of ax heads and tumi blades, with
further beans in the fi eld and covering the spout.
Height 31 cm
Provenance
Bernoulli Collection, Basel, 1949
Literature
Alan Lapiner, Pre-Columbian Art of South America,
1974, pl. 308
Cf. For a similar bean elements, Spirit of Peru, pl. 81
The topic of the signifi cance of beans on certain
Moche ceramics was studied by Larco Hoyle who
theorized that they maybe a counting device.
Whatever their meaning, beans are a design
element of considerable iconographic importance,
and they were a basic food crop in much of
ancient America and continue to be.
€ 1 500 – 2 500
*25
MIDDLE MOCHICA PAINTED VESSEL
Ca. A. D. 200-500
In cream and reddish brown with two mythical
monsters, each demonic large creature with
arched back and curling tail, talons outstretched,
fangs bared and forked tongue projecting, possibly
incorporating attributes of the Fish Monster, the
scales indicated with elaborate designs including
a conch shell.
Height 25 cm
€ 1 000 – 1 500