1998.75 Cylindrical vessel with frontal faces and profile figures (Peru, N. Coast, Cupisnique)

The Cupisnique culture of north coast Peru shared in the flowering of ancient Peruvian arts during the 1st millennium BCE. Its most distinctive portable art forms were dark gray highly burnished sculptural ceramics and small stone ritual containers. These small vessels likely served as ritual paraphernalia. The gemlike carving of this rare anthracite example depicts low-relief images of frontal, fanged jawless faces with serpents and seated profile figures holding trophy heads. The faces and figures recall the principal deity in the art of Chavín de Huántar, but the exuberant treatment of form identifies the style as Cupisnique. Anthracite, the hardest of the various coals, was used extensively to make the mirrors and undecorated containers found in Cupisnique burials, but it is extremely rare as a material for such a highly decorated object. A beautiful metallic luster rewarded the artist who mastered this friable material.

Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries.

Chavín horizon: AAT: 300017269  

Cupisnique (Coast Chavin): AAT: 30017270

Peru (nation): TGN: 1000056

Jequetepeque (Río): TGN: 1125162

anthracite (coal): AAT: 300015140

carving: AAT: 300053149

incising: AAT: 300053847

polishing (finishing): AAT: 300053867

burnishing (polishing): AAT: 30053869

Early Horizon: AAT: 300017267

vessels (containers): AAT: 300193015

cups (drinking vessels): AAT: 300043202

deities: AAT: 300343850

shiny (shine): AAT: 300065244

jaguar: AAT: 300310389

eagle (bird): AAT: 300250049

serpents (snakes/Serpentes suborder): AAT: 300250870

fangs (teeth): DMA

figures: AAT: 300189808

faces (animal or human components): AAT: 300251798

metallic (color attribute): AAT: 300311171

luster (optical property): AAT: 300056162

alligators (animals): AAT: 300252286

caimans (alligators / Crocodilia order / Alligatoridae family): DMA

transformations (concepts / processes): DMA

staff god (Chavín/Early horizon deity): DMA

trophy heads (trophies of war): DMA

trophies (objects): AAT: 300233975

trophies of war (objects): AAT: 300379111

black (color): AAT: 300130920

shiny: AAT: 300065244

shine: AAT: 300065244

Until 1998: Rare Finds (Michael Bernstein), Tuscon [1]

From 1998: Dallas Museum of Art, The Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Fund, purchased from the above [2]

[1] The main source for this provenance is Object Receipt (dated August 13, 1997, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

[2] The main source for this provenance is Committee on Collections Record (dated May 12, 1998, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

Apply to objects where number equals 1998.75