*Vase étrier Lot n° 26

It is characterized by its handle formed by the arched body of a snake, the neck of which is decorated with stylized feathers. The body of the reptile is incised and decorated with red, orange and cream paint. On either side, the head and tail of the reptile rest on the globular body. The decoration of the body is organized in four registers, separated by bands of cream and orange. The main faces host a bird of prey, an emblematic animal of Peruvian mythology. Its humanized body is represented from the front while its face is presented in profile. The sides describe the figure of the eagle, seen in profile. A scroll envelops the body of the mythical bird, and its shape could be interpreted as a stylized snake. Terra cotta with orange-red slip and incised cream decoration Chavin du Maranon, Peru, 700-200 B.C. 27.2 x 22.3 x 18.5 cm Provenance: - Former Bendicht Rudolf Wagner collection since 1958. - Mermoz Gallery, 2012 Between 1400 and 200 B.C., the Chavin culture developed in the central Andes (present-day Peru and Bolivia) and considerably influenced the Andean area. The archaeologist Julio César Tello was the first to carry out excavations at the site of Chavín de Huántar (1919), located at 3185 meters above sea level, at the confluence of the Huacheqsa River and the Mosna River, which flow into the Marañón River (tributary of the Amazon). The architectural remains and the numerous offerings found there attest to the importance of this ceremonial center, which was described as a high place of pilgrimage. The art of Chavin is characterized by the representation of anthropozoomorphic beings recognizable by the features of the feline, present on all types of support and especially terracotta (from the vase with a stirrup handle to the bottle with a high neck). The production is characterized by a polychrome slip with brown and orange tones with cream paint and incised decoration. Although the site of Chavín de Huántar is located in an area crossed by rivers that constitute enclaves within the valleys, the terracotta was the ideal medium to convey its characteristic iconography to distant regions. The Marañón is a region crossed by the eponymous river which, together with the Ucayali River, forms the Amazon River. Thus, the influence of Chavin art penetrated a vast territory, while forging its own style known as "Chavin of the Marañón".