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STATUE EN PIERRECULTURE TIWANAKU, HAUTS PLATEAUX300-700 AP. J.-C. |
Estimate
50,000 - 60,000 EUR
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Description
- haut. 44 cm ; 17 3/8 in
Provenance
Collection du Dr. Charles Maillant (1898-1993), Neuilly, acquis avant 1940
Collection privée, Paris
Christie's, Paris, 14 juin 2004, n° 333
Importante Collection privée française
Collection privée, Paris
Christie's, Paris, 14 juin 2004, n° 333
Importante Collection privée française
Exhibited
Paris, Galerie Jacques Péron, Résonances des arts primitifs, 12 février - 12 mars 1960
Literature
Péron (J.), Résonances des arts primitifs, 1960, n. p., n° 7
Condition
Excellent condition overall. Wear consistent with age and use within the culture. Base a little bit erodate.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
C’est sur la rive sud du Lac Titicaca que se situe le site archéologique de Tiwanaku, premier grand site urbain de cette civilisation pré-Inca. La cité fut la capitale d’un État qui gouvernait une grande partie de la région andine méridionale et connut son apogée entre les VIe et IXe siècles. Elle s’étendait alors sur pratiquement une dizaine de kilomètres carrés et sa population a oscillé entre 20 000 et 60 000 habitants. L’amplitude du site archéologique atteste encore aujourd’hui de l’importance culturelle et politique de cette civilisation : les Incas considéraient Tiwanaku comme le lieu de naissance du monde andin et c’est sur ce site que le Dieu Créateur, Viracocha, instaura un nouvel ordre social. Caractéristique de l’art architectural de Tiwanaku, la statue pilier de l’ancienne collection du docteur Charles Maillant s’affirme par ses qualités sculpturales et par la richesse de son iconographie. La figure anthropomorphe est représentée debout, dans une position hiératique, les mains repliées sur le torse. La main droite tient un kéro à décor de bandes, et la gauche une boîte à priser. Le visage est souligné par des tatouages sur les joues qui répondent aux vêtements sculptés richement décorés de motifs animaliers, anthropomorphes et géométriques. Si sa fonction architecturale lui dicte une certaine massivité, l’artiste est parvenu à créer une œuvre à l’allure énergique, d’un très grand raffinement dans son expression et son ornementation.
Ses qualités structurales l’inscrivent dans un corpus restreint de statues-colonnes très apparentées, dont la taille varie de 30 à 46 cm et qui étaient vraisemblablement placées dans des chapelles de la cité impériale. La richesse de leur parure et le hiératisme de leur pose laissent supposer qu’elles auraient pu être des portraits des dignitaires. « Ces sculptures synthétisent avec brio la conception de la légitimité politique de l’élite de Tiahuanaco, de ses connaissances ésotériques et de son autorité morale. Elles étaient des manifestations visuelles très évocatrices du lien évident unissant la dynastie régnante de Tiahuanaco à un passé mythique » (Kolata, The Tiwanaku : Portrait of an Andean Civilization, 1993, p. 145). Cette importance symbolique est ici renforcée par l’iconographie : l’association du kéro avec le breuvage sacré, ainsi que de la boîte à priser avec l’usage de substances hallucinogènes, met en avant l’importance de ces produits dans la pratique religieuse de cette civilisation. On retrouve cette iconographie sur les monolithes anthropomorphes monumentaux du site emblématique d’El Fraile.
The archaeological site of Tiwanaku, the first major urban site of this pre-Inca civilization, is located on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca. The city was the capital of a state that controlled a large area of the southern Andean region and reached its peak between 500 and 900 AD. At that time, it spread out over almost ten square kilometres and its population fluctuated between 20,000 and 60,000 inhabitants. Today the magnitude of the archaeological site still attests to the cultural and political importance of this civilization: the Incas considered Tiwanaku as the birthplace of the Andean world and it was on this site that the Creator Deity, Viracocha, established a new social order.
Typical of the architectural art of this civilization, the pillar statue from the former Collection of Doctor Charles Maillant stands out for its sculptural qualities and the richness of its iconography. The anthropomorphic figure stands in a hieratic position with its hands folded over its chest. The right hand holds a kero cup with a band decor, and the left a snuffbox. Tattoos adorn the cheeks, enhancing the facial features and echoing the richly sculpted clothing adorned with zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and geometric motifs. Despite the massive appearance of the sculpture due to its architectural function, the artist has succeeded in creating a piece that conveys energy and is highly refined both in its expression and its ornamentation.
The combination of its structural qualities means that this piece belongs to a small group of closely related column statues ranging in size from 30 to 46 cm, which were probably placed in chapels in the imperial city. The richness of their adornment and their hieratic position suggest that these figures may have been portraits of members of the ruling class. “These figures offer a brilliant synthesis of the conception of the political legitimacy of the Tiahuanaco elite, its esoteric knowledge and moral authority. They were very evocative visual manifestations of the tangible link between the reigning Tiahuanaco dynasty and a mythical past” (Kolata, The Tiwanaku: Portrait of an Andean Civilization, 1993, p. 145). This symbolic importance is heightened here by the iconography associated with the figure: the association of the kero with the sacred beverage, and of the snuff box with the use of hallucinogenic substances highlights the importance of these products in the religion practiced by this civilization. A similar iconography is found on the monumental anthropomorphic monoliths of the iconic El Fraile site.
Ses qualités structurales l’inscrivent dans un corpus restreint de statues-colonnes très apparentées, dont la taille varie de 30 à 46 cm et qui étaient vraisemblablement placées dans des chapelles de la cité impériale. La richesse de leur parure et le hiératisme de leur pose laissent supposer qu’elles auraient pu être des portraits des dignitaires. « Ces sculptures synthétisent avec brio la conception de la légitimité politique de l’élite de Tiahuanaco, de ses connaissances ésotériques et de son autorité morale. Elles étaient des manifestations visuelles très évocatrices du lien évident unissant la dynastie régnante de Tiahuanaco à un passé mythique » (Kolata, The Tiwanaku : Portrait of an Andean Civilization, 1993, p. 145). Cette importance symbolique est ici renforcée par l’iconographie : l’association du kéro avec le breuvage sacré, ainsi que de la boîte à priser avec l’usage de substances hallucinogènes, met en avant l’importance de ces produits dans la pratique religieuse de cette civilisation. On retrouve cette iconographie sur les monolithes anthropomorphes monumentaux du site emblématique d’El Fraile.
The archaeological site of Tiwanaku, the first major urban site of this pre-Inca civilization, is located on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca. The city was the capital of a state that controlled a large area of the southern Andean region and reached its peak between 500 and 900 AD. At that time, it spread out over almost ten square kilometres and its population fluctuated between 20,000 and 60,000 inhabitants. Today the magnitude of the archaeological site still attests to the cultural and political importance of this civilization: the Incas considered Tiwanaku as the birthplace of the Andean world and it was on this site that the Creator Deity, Viracocha, established a new social order.
Typical of the architectural art of this civilization, the pillar statue from the former Collection of Doctor Charles Maillant stands out for its sculptural qualities and the richness of its iconography. The anthropomorphic figure stands in a hieratic position with its hands folded over its chest. The right hand holds a kero cup with a band decor, and the left a snuffbox. Tattoos adorn the cheeks, enhancing the facial features and echoing the richly sculpted clothing adorned with zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and geometric motifs. Despite the massive appearance of the sculpture due to its architectural function, the artist has succeeded in creating a piece that conveys energy and is highly refined both in its expression and its ornamentation.
The combination of its structural qualities means that this piece belongs to a small group of closely related column statues ranging in size from 30 to 46 cm, which were probably placed in chapels in the imperial city. The richness of their adornment and their hieratic position suggest that these figures may have been portraits of members of the ruling class. “These figures offer a brilliant synthesis of the conception of the political legitimacy of the Tiahuanaco elite, its esoteric knowledge and moral authority. They were very evocative visual manifestations of the tangible link between the reigning Tiahuanaco dynasty and a mythical past” (Kolata, The Tiwanaku: Portrait of an Andean Civilization, 1993, p. 145). This symbolic importance is heightened here by the iconography associated with the figure: the association of the kero with the sacred beverage, and of the snuff box with the use of hallucinogenic substances highlights the importance of these products in the religion practiced by this civilization. A similar iconography is found on the monumental anthropomorphic monoliths of the iconic El Fraile site.