Vessel with Sacrificial Scene

Culture: Recuay
Period: Early Intermediate period, c.200 BCE–600 CE
Date: c.100–600 CE
Material: Ceramic with pigment
made in: Peru, South America
Classification: Ceramics, containers
Collection: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Current Location: On View, Gallery 111
Dimensions: 7 5/16 x 8 3/4 in. (18.5 x 22.3 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Morton D. May
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 347:1978

NOTES

Four canine creatures surround a man splayed on his back, baring their sharp teeth in preparation for attack. The man’s vulnerable yet seemingly willing position as well as his elaborate clothing and headgear suggest that this elite figure is offering himself as a sacrifice. This vessel was likely used in rituals that honored ancestors whose deaths established their lineage. Recuay arts often represent confrontations, celebrating moments when opposing forces interact. This emphasis on conflicting states of being is further embodied in the canine creature, which also appears painted in linear profile along the lower half of the vessel.

Provenance

- 1964
Carlebach Gallery, Inc., New York, NY, USA

1964 - 1978
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Carlebach Gallery, Inc. [1]

1978 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Morton D. May [2]

Notes:
[1] Bill No. 5511-13 dated April 26, 1964 to Morton D. May documents this purchase, listed as "28770/8 1 Requai [sic] Pottery, Man Eaten by Foxes. First class example of this rare Peruvian Culture" [May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum].

[2] A letter dated September 19, 1978 from Morton D. May to James N. Wood, director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, includes the offer of this object as part of a larger donation [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 13, 1978.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.