Late Chavin stone double beaker with supernatural animals, Ca. 700-400 B.C.

carved with low relief with two sinous mythical creatures on each chamber, each of a feline-headed crustacean, with fanged mouth and scrolling emanation from the nose, tripartite tongue, and with open claw below and closed one above, the body marked by segments and the flat base with tripartite tail tipped with rectangles, the incised areas with extensive remains of bright orange-red cinnabar.

Alan Lapiner, Arts of the Four Quarters

Andre Emmerich Inc,.

Acquired from the above, 1971

Excellent, intact. Well carved and remains of encrusation over the cinnabar in incised areas.
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Small stone vessels and plates were likely made for ceremonial purposes, and may have been trade items. This stone vessel is richly carved with conflated animal images in a balanced yet non-symmetrical opposition which is a trait of the Chavin style; Burger (1992:96) notes  "Such representations convey the sense of balance of opposites ( natural:supernatural, human:animal) and the mystical potential of transformation." For other carved stone vessels, see Lapiner (1976: figs. 117-124).

A rubbing rollout image of this beaker was done by Robert Sonin for the Arts of Four Quarters Gallery, copy available.