For sale is this incredible Peruvian Chancey burial doll. The Chancay were a pre-Columbian archeological civilization which developed between the valleys of Fortaleza, Pativilca, Supe, Huaura, Chancay, Chillón, Rimac and Lurin, on the central coast of Peru from about CE 1000 to 1470. Not much is known about the Chancay civilization, which developed in the later part of the Inca Empire. This culture emerged after the fall of the Wari civilization. Parts of the southern Chancay area were conquered by the Chimú in the early fifteenth century and in about 1450 A.D. the Incas were occupying both areas. The burial ‘dolls’ of the Chancay culture are made of woven fabric, and are normally stuffed with reed or fiber. Some ‘dolls’, such as that of a llama which was displayed in the National Gallery of Australia, have been found to be stuffed with tiny round grains instead. The ‘dolls’ are dressed in gendered garments woven to size, and would usually have tapestry-woven faces with dramatic facial features. Some of these ‘dolls’ have been found to be holding an item in their hands – a ball of cotton, a piece of yarn, or even a musical instrument. These ‘dolls’ are believed to represent human beings, rather than supernatural beings (such as gods or spirits) based on the details of their costume. These details also serve to show the gender of the ‘dolls’. For example, female ‘dolls’ have netted head cloths, whilst male ones have slings. Additionally, the gender of these ‘dolls’ can be distinguished based on the patterns on their faces. Females are said to have “several variations of diagonal stepped patterns”, whilst their male counter-parts are reported to have a more standardized “pattern of three triangular sections”. The Chancey doll offered here is not an original piece made in the circa 1000-1470 time frame, but rather one made during modern times (estimated 19-20th century AD). This being said, authentic pre-Columbian circa 1000-1470 AD torn textile fragments were used in production of this doll. This sounds unique or rare, however this was a relatively common practice for the era (feel free to research this further to support this claim). With the rise in travel, artisans would save fragments of artifact cloth when found, and later repurpose the scraps by making them into dolls that were similar in style to the archeological pieces found in tombs. The modern dolls were never actually used in burial practices (thus are ethically acceptable to sell), but were more or less just made as souvenir pieces for tourists to purchase. The summery of this is: modern artisans that worked in the last hundred years or more used authentic ancient textile fragments that were found to make dolls to resemble ancient dolls that were found so that they could sell them is souvenirs to tourists. This doll is an example of this. It is a smaller figure, created with period textiles. This piece is sold as is, and should be expected to have several flaws and blemishes (the doll was made around 100 years ago, and cloth around 1000 years ago, so expect some stains, tears, dirtiness, and other blemishes). Please study the photos carefully for a better indication of condition. Feel free to ask questions, we are here to help. This would be a great addition to any collection! Perfect for cultural collectors, antiquity collections, decor, displaying, using as teaching tools, or giving as a gift! Don’t pass it up!

Be sure to check over the details and look at all of the photos so you will know exactly what you’ll get! Sometimes the photos include a picture of the item next to a ruler so that you can better tell the size of the item. This way we can avoid any accidental sizing issues. My goal is to make you happy!

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All items come from a smoke free pet free home. Items purchased will be shipped within 3 days, however I strive for next day shipping.

My items come from my personal collection, reputable whole-sellers, art/antique dealers, auction houses, old barns/houses, and more. Some are given to me to sell, found, or even items that I got here off of eBay (from reputable sellers of course;). Some Is bought in bulk so I can offer you great prices, and some are rare and I only have one! Let me know if I can help you in any way and I’d be happy to!!