166 - A CHIMU RITUAL WOOD SCEPTER, 12TH-15TH CENTURY

A CHIMU RITUAL WOOD SCEPTER, 12TH-15TH CENTURY Peru. Boldly carved, with an elongated shaft of circular section tapering to a point at one end and extending at the other into a flat oval panel, carved on both sides in high relief with a stylized anthropomorphic guardian figure depicted frontally, the outstretched arms grasping two staffs resting on the ground, and a lizard-like creature extending across the waist. The bare torso rises to a face with strongly geometric features, surmounted by a pair of long curving horns. Provenance: An old private collection in Belgium. Subsequently with Roger Bergmans, Lommel, Belgium. Martin Doustar, Brussels, Belgium, acquired from the above. Martin Doustar is a Brussels-based art dealer and collector whose career spans more than two decades. He began his professional journey in the early 2000s with a focus on Modern Art, developing a keen interest in the ways early twentieth-century artists were influenced by ‘primitive’ art from Africa and Oceania. Over time, his connoisseurship expanded into archaeological and ethnographic fields, with particular expertise in the ancient arts of the Pacific, Africa, and pre-Columbian America, while also encompassing Asian material culture and modern masterpieces. He is the author of numerous scholarly catalogs and has organized thematic exhibitions on a wide range of subjects. Condition: Good condition with expected wear, natural age cracks, occasional minor chips mostly along the edges, and light surface scratches. The wood with a fine, naturally grown, dark patina. Weight: 320.1 g (excl. stand), 1 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 42.8 cm (excl. stand), 44.1 cm (incl. stand) With an associated metal stand. (2) The Chimú culture flourished on Peru’s northern coast from approximately 1000 until the Inca conquest around 1470. At its greatest extent, the kingdom controlled some 800 miles of coastline, with its capital at Chan Chan. The exceptionally arid environment has preserved a remarkable range of wooden objects, providing valuable evidence of Chimú ceremonial life. Scepters and ceremonial staffs were emblems of authority and prestige among the Chimú elite. Their significance is reflected in representations of individuals carrying staffs on textiles, goldwork, and pottery. Surviving wooden examples incorporate human figures and fantastic animals, associating the bearer’s rank with a wider vocabulary of sacred imagery. A scepter in the Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco, is carved with serpents bearing feline heads (see literature comparison below), interpreted as combining terrestrial strength with the regenerative powers of the underworld. The imposing frontal figure grasping two staffs on the present lot similarly evokes authority and supernatural protection. Wooden figural markers and guardian sculptures also formed part of Chimú ceremonial architecture. Figures mounted on posts could be anchored into floors or niches, while larger carvings stood at the entrances to buildings and tombs. At Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú Empire, such sculptures guarded access to royal compounds, where carefully controlled entrances separated elite and sacred spaces from the outside world. Their protective role was complemented by their gestures and attributes: figures holding drinking vessels or probable flutes evoke the feasting and music that accompanied important ceremonies. Literature comparison: Compare a pair of related Chimú cradle frame pieces with similar anthropomorphic figures, dated 12th-15th century, each 95 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object numbers 1979.206.389-.390. Compare also the related oar-shaped royal scepter depicting the founder of the Chimú dynasty, dated 1200-1476, 32 cm high, in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Compare a related Chimú wood scepter with a pair of snakes with feline heads, dated 1300-1532 AD, in the Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco, object number ML400016. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 November 2006, lot 88 Price: USD 28,800 or approx. EUR 42,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Chimu wood figural marker, ca. AD 1100-1400 Expert remark: Note the size (89 cm).