Lot 72a, Auction 4/12/2026: Chancay Camelid Wool Textile of Serpents & Figures

$260.00

In stock

Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chancay culture, ca. 12th to 14th century CE. A finely woven camelid wool textile panel, depicting a pair of standing anthropomorphic figures surrounded by a rhythmic field of zigzagging serpent motifs. The panel is rendered in natural tones of caramel, chocolate brown, cream, and white, with intricate geometric and zoomorphic decorations throughout and a patterned border along the lower edge. In Chancay iconography, serpents held dual meaning – revered as both life-giving and dangerous, their venom embodying both nourishment and threat. Their annual shedding made them enduring symbols of renewal, transformation, and vitality. A striking survival from the ancient Andean world, mounted for display within a protective frame. Size of textile: 18.6″ L x 22.4″ H (47.2 cm x 56.9 cm); frame: 23.4″ W x 27.4″ H (59.4 cm x 69.6 cm)

Condition: Not examined outside of frame. Fragment of a larger piece. Some loosening, staining, and fraying to peripheries and interior, as well as a few small tears with minor loss as shown. Mounted to modern fabric and fit with modern wood and glass frame.

Provenance: private Dallas, Texas, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired 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 purchases.

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