Peru, Chancay culture
1000–1450 AD
Wood
Height: 33½ in (85.1 cm) and 33⅛ in (84.1 cm)
Provenance: Jenack Auctions, New York, February 2002; The Lands Beyond, New York, January 2012; Private Collection, Honolulu, Hawaii
Chancay litter poles were structural elements of ceremonial carrying platforms used to transport elite individuals or sacred objects in processions and ritual contexts along the Peruvian coast. Carved wooden poles of this type, surmounted by standing figures, are among the more architecturally significant objects produced by the Chancay culture and survive in relatively small numbers given the fragility of wood in most burial environments. The dry coastal conditions of the Chancay region of central Peru have preserved wooden objects that would not have survived in other climates, making intact examples of this scale genuinely uncommon.
This matched pair retains carved standing figures at the tops of the poles, with the warm brown patina characteristic of well-preserved Chancay wood, and inset elements visible along the shafts. The two poles are closely matched in height and carving style, consistent with production as a pair for a single litter or platform. The three-owner provenance including a named New York auction and two subsequent collections gives this pair a well-documented ownership history from 2002 onward.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Peru, Chancay culture
1000–1450 AD
Wood
Height: 33½ in (85.1 cm) and 33⅛ in (84.1 cm)
Provenance: Jenack Auctions, New York, February 2002; The Lands Beyond, New York, January 2012; Private Collection, Honolulu, Hawaii
Chancay litter poles were structural elements of ceremonial carrying platforms used to transport elite individuals or sacred objects in processions and ritual contexts along the Peruvian coast. Carved wooden poles of this type, surmounted by standing figures, are among the more architecturally significant objects produced by the Chancay culture and survive in relatively small numbers given the fragility of wood in most burial environments. The dry coastal conditions of the Chancay region of central Peru have preserved wooden objects that would not have survived in other climates, making intact examples of this scale genuinely uncommon.
This matched pair retains carved standing figures at the tops of the poles, with the warm brown patina characteristic of well-preserved Chancay wood, and inset elements visible along the shafts. The two poles are closely matched in height and carving style, consistent with production as a pair for a single litter or platform. The three-owner provenance including a named New York auction and two subsequent collections gives this pair a well-documented ownership history from 2002 onward.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
