19th c. Original Pair Huamanga Alabaster FIGURINES SCULPTURES S. America TM12884

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19th c. Original Pair Huamanga Alabaster FIGURINES SCULPTURES S. America TM12884:
$69.00

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The majority of human existence has been dominated by so-called “Native” groups, also known as tribal folk, original residents, indigenous people, aboriginals, First Nations, traditional ethnicities, autochthonous societies, autochthonal cultures, et. al. At some point of course our ancestors were the same… regardless of current culture, creed or color. Regrettably, in the past half a millennium, thousands of unique tribal groups have disappeared due to misunderstanding, impudence and ethnocentrism. Aspects of colonialism, capitalism, racism and politicization have directly and circuitously destroyed myriad native cultures, each a once-valuable resource to our planet. Of the nearly 7000 languages currently spoken on our planet, over 6000 are in immediate danger of becoming extinct. The vast majority of those are ethnic indigenous. We believe the very few “Native” groups that remain on earth should be cherished and carefully supported. Unfortunately, we are on the brink of losing our connection with indigenous spirit, wisdom and traditional knowledge. For those whose customs have vanished, our window into their worlds is only available through literature, paintings, photographs, a few recordings and material culture, or the objects they created.

For more than a quarter century those of us behind AKATAKSA/ANDESAMAZON have dedicated our professional interests to documenting “traditional” South American indigenous cultures, especially through their material culture. Our field studies have led us to some of the remotest living people on the continent. We have witnessed Native Americans existing exactly as their ancestors did in prehistoric times… and others who have jumped from 18th century existence to 21st century reality in the blink of an eye. Our ethnographic investigations have resulted in valuable data related to linguistics, cultural history, ethno-Environmental relationships, socio-cultural organization, cosmology, mythology, spirituality and of course, material culture. We have a detailed proposal for a magnificent cultural center aimed at stimulating interest in past and present indigenous cultures. Our unique idea is not just to show beautiful objects on display. Ours is to share the entire background of a piece, not only from a scientific or scholarly point of view but also from a cultural and spiritual perspective as well. This holistic approach to understanding indigenous material culture shall include accompanying photographs, films, recorded testimonials, music, related specimens and even field notes. We want to inspire our visitors to continue their own investigations into realms of mysterious phenomena that we really know very little about.

Apart from receiving monies for researching indigenous material culture, our sales contribute toward expanding interest in past cultures and ways of life. Not only can ones´ personal Environment be enhanced with beautiful and interesting objects but the benefits of knowing about different ideologies, unique ways of life and past or nearly-extinct traditions are utterly invaluable. We encourage every buyer to intimately study each piece and learn as much as possible about its origin, function, importance and spiritual history. We hope that whatever understanding, knowledge and insights are obtained from our objects will be shared with companions, friends and especially children. In this small way we feel inspired in preserving something of native cultures and making the world a better place. Thank you for working with us.

A PAIR OF HISTORIC HUAMANGA STONE FIGURINES
FROM SOUTH AMERICA

Inventory Number: TM12884

Origin: Andean region, probably Perú, South America.

Background and Description:

This lot consists of an authentic pair of original antique religious figurines that probably date to the 19th century. The pieces were hand-carved from Huamanga alabaster and represent a native man and woman. Huamanga alabaster is named for the Huamanga marble-like stone quarries exploited since Colonial times and possibly earlier. The stone is commonly white in color, lightly translucent and is found in the highlands of Perú and Bolivia. The primary source for the stone is near the city of Ayacucho in southern Perú that was originally named San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga after its founding in 1540 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro.

This style of figurine with a flat, unpainted backside was commonly attached to religious panels or the insides of reliquary boxes probably beginning in Late-Colonial times. Figurines commonly include wild and domestic animals and Mestizo or native male and female images as seen in this lot. This pair includes a native woman kneeling beside a large ¨ceramic¨ container, possibly representing a chicha jar. In the Andes chicha is a beer-like beverage mostly made from masticated corn. She sports a long red shoulder manta and is holding her hat as if in reverence to a ceremonial event. The male figure with long cropped hair and a red shirt is playing an Andean style flute. Each is decorated with original paints in several colors. These are nice examples of these old sculptures that have been difficult to encounter in recent years.

Approximate Age: Probably 19th century. Please refer to the ANDESAMAZON \"DATING\" TERMS.

Materials: Huamanga alabaster and paints.

Approximate Size: 2 1/8 to 2 3/8 inches high. They are about 3/8 inch thick.

Condition: EXCELLENT. The figures are offered in ¨as found¨ condition. Cleaning would certainly improve their appearance since they are bespattered with dirt and old grease as evidenced in the photos. There is minor paint wear to the highlights of both figures.

ANDESAMAZON SHIPPING

All of our items are shipped directly from South America. The advantage is that selling costs are kept to a minimum. The disadvantage is that items will not arrive quickly. Most items arrive in two to three weeks from their date of shipping; however, some items have taken up to six weeks to arrive (especially to Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, greater Asia and the Middle East) due mostly to customs inspections and policies. Items to the United States of America have arrived in as few as ten days. Our offices are not in close proximity to international postal service. Most items are shipped within one to three working days of payment.

The cost for shipping this item is as follows:

ANDESAMAZON

ANDESAMAZON is an sister site to AKATAKSA, which began in February, 1999. With transactions involving over 3000 clients AKATAKSA is noted with ABOVE STANDARD performance and 100% POSITIVE response. All AKATAKSA items are shipped from within the United States. All ANDESAMAZON items are shipped directly from South America. Our intention is to reach a larger number of clients by keeping worldwide shipping costs to a minimum. Unfortunately, WE CANNOT OFFER RETURNS – either in merchandise or money. We promise to continue providing detailed and accurate information related to age, origin, condition and descriptions as we have for the past 15 years. WE ALSO PROMISE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ASSURE THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH YOUR PURCHASES.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATING TO ANDEAN CULTURE, ARTS AND HISTORY,
THIS NEW ANDES AND AMAZON WEBSITE MAY BE USEFUL.

ANDES AMAZON \"DATING\" TERMS:

PREHISTORIC, PRE-COLUMBIAN, ANCIENT = Before around A.D. 1500.
18TH CENTURY = A.D. 1700 to 1799.
19th CENTURY = 1800 to 1899.
TURN OF THE 19TH CENTURY = 1890 to 1910.
EARLY-20TH CENTURY = 1900 to 1933.
MID-20TH CENTURY = 1934 to 1966.
LATE-20TH CENTURY = 1967 to 1999.
TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY = 1995 to 2005.
EARLY-21ST CENTURY = 2000 to Present.
COLONIAL = A.D. 1532 to 1825.
ANTIQUE = Over 50 years old.
VINTAGE = Over 30 years old.
CONTEMPORARY = Made in the last 5 years.
CIRCA = \"Approximately/around/within a few years of.\"

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