Pre-Columbian, Peru, Amazon Rainforest, Maranon River, Chavin Maranon, ca. 1500 to 1200 BCE. A hand-built and highly burnished pottery vessel depicting a highly stylized shaman as he transforms into the form of a fearsome jaguar. The abstract creature presents standing atop a pair of curved legs with its curled tail behind used for balance, a bulky body adorned with striped, diamond, and claw-form motifs, a dramatically hunched back, a protruding head, and a conical spout behind an arching strap handle; red, maroon, and cream pigment form the chromatic decorations across the vessel. The triangular head features a pair of protruding eyes, tab-shaped ears with pierced lobes, an upturned nose with pierced nostrils, and a thick tongue drooping from between bared fangs. A rare and exemplary vessel from the early Chavin-Maranon! Size: 4.375" W x 7.5" H (11.1 cm x 19 cm)Vessels like this one probably were used for holding offerings and pouring libations of chicha onto graves and over the bodies of the dead. The jaguar was symbolic of the most important god of the Chavin pantheon, Lanzon, whose body was conceived of in Chavin artwork as a combination of zoomorphic and anthropomorphic features. The artwork of Chavin represents the first widespread style in the Andes, inspirational to later cultures, especially the Moche. Provenance: ex-Splendors of the World, Haiku, Hawaii, USA, before 2010 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #173446