Provenance Information

Collection of Robert and Marianne Huber, New York; [Sotheby’s, New York, Pre-Columbian Art, Nov. 20, 1995, sale no. 6778, lot no. 11, reproduced]; purchased by Assen and Christine Nicolov, Seattle, Washington

Exhibition Information

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Feasting with the Gods: Art and Ceremony in Ancient Mesoamerica and the Central Andes, Dec.11, 2003-July 19, 2004

Publication Information

José Antonio de Lavalle, Moche, Lima, 1985, pg. 55.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) at the time of acquisition allowed the museum to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. Although it is not known when the work was outside its probable country of modern discovery (Peru), or acquired by Robert and Marianne Huber—important collectors of Pre-Columbian objects—this bowl featured prominently in the publication Moche (1985) by José Antonio de Lavalle. In addition, the work was included in an exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum, titled Feasting with the Gods: Art and Ceremony in Ancient Mesoamerica and the Central Andes, from December 11, 2003-July 19, 2004. This bowl cleared a search conducted by the Art Loss Register. SAM has ten Mochica vessels in its collection depicting warriors, humans, supernatural beings and animals, but not such a distinctive flaring vessel with exceptional quality of fine line painting. The vessel provides a visual documentation of an important theme in Mochica art and culture: mythical hunters and warriors.