*Vase funéraire Lot n° 25

representing a jaguar. The body of the animal is the container. The jaguar is represented leaning on its four legs. Its coat is evoked by oblique lines while the spots of its coat are formed by means of incised circles. Its status as a predator and its wild nature are represented through the claws and the open mouth from which the fangs appear. The pupils are dilated and the ears are erect, looking for the slightest noise. The muzzle is wrinkled and the lips are curled up in warning. Grey-brown terracotta Chavin, Peru, 900-300 B.C. 30.5 x 19.2 x 21 cm Provenance: - Former M.B. collection, 1969 - Mermoz Gallery, 2005 Chavín develops in the Andean area (actual Peru) through a theocratic system centered on the ceremonial center, cultural and economic crossroads between the coastal regions, of assembly and the Amazonian slope. The vase presented is a perfect example of the Chavin production. Its type, with stirrup neck, is the most widespread and the use of the incision are the main physical characteristics. The piece is all the more exceptional because it illustrates a theme dear to the pre-Columbian elite: the jaguar. It is one of the most recurrent motifs both on movable objects (terracotta and textiles) and on sculpted objects (architecture, usual and monumental sculpture). The cult of the feline is a heritage of Amazonian traditions, generally associated with that of the eagle. They are entities linked to ritual practices. The jaguar is considered and venerated as a magical animal. It allows the shaman, who takes on the appearance of this animal, to travel through the different spheres of the cosmos and to communicate with the spirits. It thus expresses the passage from one reality to another. These vases were used as offerings and found in votive deposits near temples. This sacred animal appears in many rites and symbolizes the passage from one reality to another. By taking on the appearance of the jaguar, the shaman travels from the world of the living to the underworld and communicates with the spirits. The jaguar, the eagle and the snake are the three emblematic animals of the pre-Columbian beliefs. They illustrate episodes of mythology related to creation and fertility. This explains the recurrence of these representations on the ceremonial vases. The quality of the incisions, reinforced by the polychromy, is characteristic of the production of the Marañón and reflects the high degree of technicality of the Chavín culture.