An elegant bottle from the North Coast of Peru, vicinity of the Chicama or Moche valleys, showing four transformational shaman heads - man to feline, serpent, or bird predator. These recall highly similar stone carvings from the contemporaneous Late Chavin culture centered at the north central highland site of Chavin de Huantar. The precise use of these vessels is unclear, but they surely factored in ritual ceremonies and events. Thin-walled, finely-tempered, and burnished ceramic with post-fire ...click for details
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