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Category: Pre-Columbian
Country of Origin/Culture: Argentina/Condorhuasi-Alamito
Approximate Age Range: 200 BCE - 700 AD
Material: Stone - Unknown
Size: Approx. 3.75"
Provenance: Purchase from a private collection.
Comments: For sale is this ULTRA RARE stone mask from the advanced and mysterious pre-columbian culture; Condorhuasi-Alamito of North-eastern Argentina. A hauntingly beautiful, anthropomorphic mask, hand-carved from a heavy, blueish stone. The mask is dominated by a pronounced brow ridge, a rectangular nose, and drilled holes for eyes and mouth. The mouth has a gentle ridge around it, forming puckered lips. The presence of 6 drill holes line the outer edges of the mask suggest that it was once affixed to something, perhaps a funerary bundle.
This culture is from the Hualfin Valley in the Catamarca province of Argentina, although it seems to have had cultural influence or at least trading connections both north and south. The landscape was semi-arid and high altitude, similar to that of the American Southwest. The people of the region were llama pastoralists who created artwork in ceramic, metal, and stone, often with repeated themes - for example, masks made of lapis lazuli and copper have been found that look nearly identical in form to this one. Masks like this one were deposited into graves that were buried in the patios or inside the rooms of small houses in villages or, in some areas of the Hualfin Valley, segregated cemeteries. They seem to represent idealized images of the deceased.
See a very similar artifact at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/708743
This piece exhibits clear signs of ancient tool work and drilling techniques. It also has a wonderful ancient patina and would be a absolute masterpiece in your collection.