Sicán Gold Beaker ca. A.D. 900-1100

decorated in repoussé with a frieze of three standing warriors holding staffs at their sides and with upward flowing plumed headdresses, a band of stylized camelid  heads with extended tongues encircling the rim.

John Wise
Acquired from the above by the present owner's family in 1968

San Francisco, The Bay Area Collects, Art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, July 3-October 3, 1982

Thomas K. Seligman and Kathleen Berrin, The Bay Area Collects, Art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1982, fig. 112 far left

Fine condition overall.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The uniform portrayal of the Sicán deity head and it's earthly manifestation as the Sicán lord, is one of the defining elements of Middle Sicán art. The consistent display of this figure on pottery, gold and wood, was part of the religious and economic control of the expanding empire.