Exceptional Artifact & Collectible Auction
Lot 111:
9" Colonial Period Peruvian Pottery Effigy Bowl, Circa 1600s
A fine Colonial period Peruvian pottery effigy bowl dating to the 1600s. The vessel measures 9 inches across and stands 3 1/4 inches tall. At the center of the bowl is a modeled animal figure, approximately 1 3/4 inches tall, likely representing a cow. Bowls of this type were commonly used during the early Colonial era for serving or holding milk and other liquids.
The central bovine effigy is a particularly telling feature. Cattle were introduced to the Andes by the Spanish, and their appearance in ceramic decoration reflects the blending of European domestic imagery with Indigenous Andean pottery traditions. While the bowl’s coarse clay body, hand formed construction, and low temperature firing remain firmly rooted in local Indigenous techniques, the inclusion of a European animal motif points to the cultural hybridization characteristic of 17th century Colonial Peru. These mixed tradition vessels were often produced by Indigenous potters for use in Spanish households, missions, and administrative centers.
Provenance: Chuck and Eileen Hoffman Collection, known for their long standing interest in South American and ethnographic material.
Condition: Excellent for its age, with no restoration and only the expected surface wear from centuries of handling and use. The underside shows a natural glaze drip formed during firing, a common occurrence in early Colonial kilns where glazed and unglazed wares were fired together. A solid, well preserved example of early Colonial Peruvian utilitarian pottery with a charming figural element and clear evidence of Spanish Indigenous artistic interaction.
Condition: Authentic
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