Peru, Chimu culture
1100 AD
Bronze
Length: 2½ in (6.4 cm), Width: ¾ in (1.9 cm), Depth: ½ in (1.3 cm)
Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, with label
The Chimu culture of the north coast of Peru, centered at the capital Chan Chan, produced cast bronze figures as votive offerings, personal ornaments, and ritual objects deposited in elite burials and ceremonial contexts. Small standing bronze figures of this type are among the most portable and personal objects of Chimu metalwork production, and their standardized frontal posture with hands raised to the chest reflects a consistent devotional or supplicant iconography. The Chimu were the dominant coastal power of Peru prior to Inca conquest in the mid-fifteenth century and left a substantial legacy of metalwork, textiles, and ceramic production.
This small figure stands with hands raised to the chest in the characteristic Chimu votive posture, with a defined head, facial features, and body proportions rendered with the economy typical of cast bronze work at this scale. The surface carries a dark green and brown patina consistent with burial context, and the casting is solid and well preserved. The Sotheby's New York provenance with original label gives this piece a clear and verifiable auction house collecting history.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Peru, Chimu culture
1100 AD
Bronze
Length: 2½ in (6.4 cm), Width: ¾ in (1.9 cm), Depth: ½ in (1.3 cm)
Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, with label
The Chimu culture of the north coast of Peru, centered at the capital Chan Chan, produced cast bronze figures as votive offerings, personal ornaments, and ritual objects deposited in elite burials and ceremonial contexts. Small standing bronze figures of this type are among the most portable and personal objects of Chimu metalwork production, and their standardized frontal posture with hands raised to the chest reflects a consistent devotional or supplicant iconography. The Chimu were the dominant coastal power of Peru prior to Inca conquest in the mid-fifteenth century and left a substantial legacy of metalwork, textiles, and ceramic production.
This small figure stands with hands raised to the chest in the characteristic Chimu votive posture, with a defined head, facial features, and body proportions rendered with the economy typical of cast bronze work at this scale. The surface carries a dark green and brown patina consistent with burial context, and the casting is solid and well preserved. The Sotheby's New York provenance with original label gives this piece a clear and verifiable auction house collecting history.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
