Priestess Of The Chancay Culture, Peru, 1100–1400 Ad

Standing priestess with a painted face

Polychrome terracotta. Slight surface wear, signs of age. Minor restoration on the upper left side of the headdress, measuring approximately 4.5 × 3 cm.

Chancay culture, Peru, 1100–1400 CE.

Dimensions: 26.5 × 19 cm.
Provenance: estate sale, Beaussant Lefèvre, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 2024.
Sold with a certificate of authenticity by expert Serge Reynes. Invoice available upon request.

This female figure, with full, rounded forms, has short, raised arms ending in open, spatula-shaped hands. A veil covers her head, held in place by a headband with geometric patterns. A tapered design extends from the eyes toward the temples, while painted details highlight the cheeks. She wears ear ornaments called “tambas.” The dark decoration on the torso evokes a small poncho or body paint.

Of the “cuchimilco” type, this figure is part of a tradition associated with fertility and protection. Her raised hands may suggest a gesture of divine invocation.
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