Opossum being attacked by a snake -nice piece- - PUBLISHED - Vicus, Peru, 500 BC - 400 AD Terracotta 18 cm height and 20,5 cm long. Provenance: - Private collection, France. - Loudmer Comissaires Priseurs S.C.P., Art Precolombien Collection d'un Amateur. Paris Drouot, 18 March 1995. Lot 15. - Private collection, J. R. (1928 - 2013) Barcelona, formed since 1950 until 2000. Thence by descendent. PUBLISHED: - Catalogue; Loudmer Comissaires Priseurs S.C.P., Art Precolombien Collection d'un Amateur. Paris Drouot, 18 March 1995. Lot 15. DOCUMENTS: - Spanish Export License. Condition: Good condition, rejoined of five big parts, see photos. The Vicús culture arose in what is now the Peruvian region of Piura, mainly in the pre-Andean highlands, although they also had links to coastal and mountain groups. It is a desert zone, but a few rivers and lakes supply the water that made human settlement and agriculture possible, along with large areas of arable land. The area also features plentiful grassland for livestock and woodland for hunting. The Vicús were skilled metalworkers, fashioning many personal adornments such as earpieces, masks, nosepieces, necklace beads, metal leaf, crowns, and headdresses with spangles and feathers that made sounds as the wearer moved, as well as rattles. Many of these artifacts were decorated with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, geometric, or hybrid motifs. The most notable feature of Vicús ceramics is their use of modeled decorations, which represented different aspects of their way of life. Many Vicús motifs depict local wildlife such as deer, rodents, felines, monkeys, ducks, parrots, owls, iguanas, and snakes. Some images blend two or more kinds of animal, suggesting mythical beasts. Many other ceramic vessels depict humans in different poses or engaged in different activities, including warriors, weavers, and people with unusual garments that have been interpreted as priests. The Vicús are also known for their erotic ceramics, which may reflect a concern with fertility. Music played a key role in Vicús ritual life and was expressed in different areas of their culture, particularly in funeral rites. Grave goods often feature a preponderance of musical instruments including ceramic drums, flutes, and whistling bottles. In ceramic decoration, musicians playing antaras (pan pipes) are one of the most common motifs, often appearing in contexts that suggest funeral rites. Vicús graves are tubular or often boat shaped pits with a chamber at the bottom. Bodies were deposited there, often cremated, along with an array of grave goods that varied in richness with the deceased’s social rank. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union). NOT TAXES. - According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. - From 6,001 to 60,000 euros: 10%. This export permit application process can take between 1-2 months maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.