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| Lot# & Name: |
009. Moche Ai Apaec Figural Dribble Cup - Ithyphallic, TL Tested |
| Estimate: |
$2,250-$3,500 |
| Current High Bid: |
$4,250.00 |
| Auction Closed(Final Price) |
$4,250.00 |
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| Category: |
Pre-Columbian Art
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| Sub Category: |
Moche, Nazca, etc.
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| Culture or Country: |
North coast.
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| Period: |
Ca. 100-700 A.D.
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| Size: |
5.5" W x 10.4" H x 6.5" D (14.0 cm W x 26.4 cm H x 16.5 cm D. |
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| Description: |
A seated supernatural commands this Moche redware dribble cup with absolute composure: the Wrinkle Face deity, one of the most potent figures in the Moche pantheon, sits with knees raised and elbows propped upon them, both hands clasped around an enormous erect phallus that rises as a secondary spout alongside his body. His face is modeled with the characteristic features of this deity type, deeply incised concentric wrinkles radiating across the cheeks and brow, heavy-lidded eyes, and a wide mouth set in an expression of alert, unsettling calm. Dangling circular earrings hang at each side of his head, and a tall cylindrical headdress perforated with a row of holes serves as the vessel's primary opening, the liquid inside escaping in thin streams through the piercings to produce the dribbling effect for which this vessel form is named. Professionally repaired from several large pieces with restoration over break lines and to rim. Light surface wear as shown. Otherwise, very nice presentation with impressive detail. TL hole to underside of base. Other TL hole is on interior of previous break site on proper left arm and thus no longer visible.
Moche erotic and ithyphallic vessels are among the most discussed objects in pre-Columbian studies, their explicit imagery long misread as mere obscenity before scholars established their ritual and cosmological context. The phallus in Moche iconography is consistently linked to fertility, regeneration, and supernatural potency rather than human sexuality per se, and the Wrinkle Face deity appears across a range of ceremonial contexts associated with sacrifice, agricultural renewal, and the perpetuation of cosmic order. A small figure, perhaps a supplicant or attendant, is visible clinging to the deity's torso, a detail that further underscores the vessel's ceremonial rather than domestic register. The dribble cup form itself suggests use in ritual libation, the controlled release of liquid through the headdress perforations enacting, in miniature, the deity's generative power.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.
*This lot will not be on view at the New York exhibition, and will ship from Colorado* |
| Provenance: |
Private Miami, Florida, USA collection of Robert Curran Sr. Acquired in 1960's during his travels around the world. |
| Shipping Fee: |
| National: |
$0.00 |
| International: |
$0.00 (This is approximate and for Postal Service. Prices may vary, especially for private carriers such as: FEDEX, UPS and BAX).
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Moche Ai Apaec Figural Dribble Cup - Ithyphallic, TL Tested
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BIDDER |
BID |
QTY |
Original Bid Time |
| 1. |
LiveAuctioneers |
$4,250.00 |
1 |
7/29/2026 12:15:29 PM |
| 2. |
Invaluable |
$4,000.00 |
1 |
7/28/2026 3:51:05 PM |
| 3. |
Invaluable |
$1,250.00 |
1 |
7/28/2026 3:50:57 PM |
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