BEAUTIFUL PATINA 19th ANDES INDIAN STONE BULL FETISH Small Fat Colorful TM12942

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BEAUTIFUL PATINA 19th ANDES INDIAN STONE BULL FETISH Small Fat Colorful TM12942:
$59.95

OUR COMMITMENT

We believe the world can be a better place. We believe that humanity has a higher, aspiring destination. We know that through mutual respect conflicts will subside. We know that by understanding our differences we can help one another. We believe that our Mother Earth and our Universe can provide unlimited resources for every man, woman and child to live in peace, happiness and love. As stewards of the human race we have an intrinsic responsibility to do what we can to improve our world as much as possible.

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. Nearly all, being 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 in documenting “traditional” South American indigenous cultures, especially through their material culture. Our field studies have led us to some of the most remote 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 preserving 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-museum 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. Thanks for working with us.

AN HISTORIC ANDEAN INDIAN STONE BULL FETISH

Inventory Number: TM12942

Origin: Andean region, South America

Background and Description:

This lot consists of an authentic indigenous Native American hand-carved stone amulet. This is beautiful old sculpture in the form of a standing bull, or waka. Depending on the ethnic group using such objects, they are variously called waka illa, waka samiri, lukin sipja, waka sipja, et. al. Amulets such as this were often carried by their owners or kept in a hand-woven textile ritual cloth (such as a tari or inkhuña) with other spiritual objects and wrapped as a bundle, called q´ipi. These “medicine bundles” were opened and their contents “blessed” during special rituals. Waka illa served as amulets for protection, prosperity, personal power and herd propagation for a single owner, his or her family, or a community.

This very old example is probably of late-19th century age, based on its thick and rounded body, unusual flat, massive head and extremely worn surface with a beautiful old patina. This is a transitional fetish from thick, 19th century examples with stub feet to thin, flat, 20th century examples with no feet. It has a wonderful shape and was carefully sculpted with a knife and rubbing stone. There is residue of old karwa u:ntu (also qawra u:ntu), which is compact, greasy fat, obtained from the chests of male llamas. Fresh llama u:ntu has the hardness of cold, refrigerated butter that likewise softens when heated. It is white or pinkish in color, a little less than odorless and is removed in slabs about ½-inch thick to 2-inches thick. Female llamas have nominal chest fat and their u:ntu is generally not used spiritually. A less-valuable and less-desirable substitution for llama u:ntu is bovine fat, or waka u:ntu, which is a little darker in color and has a pungent, rather unpleasant odor. We believe the use of waka u:ntu is relatively recent in the Andes. Karwa u:ntu is an extremely important spiritual substance utilized in many Andean rituals. It is often rubbed on ceremonial objects and even on the hands, arms and faces of people participating in sacrificial or “offering” ceremonies. Little effigies are hand-modeled from u:ntu into animal forms such as llamas, sheep, bulls, etc. and burned in provisional sacrificial altars. Usually once a year karwa u:ntu is ceremonially applied to certain ritual objects including fetishes and amulets for their protection and for increasing their supernatural powers. The grease darkens slowly with age.

The stone is particularly attractive with mottled shades of light and dark ivory colors. Old Andean stone fetishes are impressive works of tribal sculptural art and represent important spiritual objects of beliefs and philosophies that have now nearly vanished. They are increasingly more difficult to find and acquire. This is an excellent example that “feels good” to hold.

Approximate Age: Late-19th to turn-of-the-19th century. Please refer to the ANDESAMAZON \"DATING\" TERMS.

Materials: Mottled, alabaster-like stone.

Approximate Size: 1 1/8 inches by 1 inch by 3/4 inch thick.

Condition: VERY GOOD.

There are no recent breaks or chips. One of the horn tips was broken long ago and has been abraded smooth through time. The lustrous patina is especially pleasing. Please refer to the photos.

ANDESAMAZON SHIPPING

Most 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:

$12.00 SHIPPING TO: ASIA, AUSTRALIA, INDIA and NEW ZEALAND

ANDESAMAZON

ANDESAMAZON is an sister site to AKATAKSA, which began in February, 1999. With transactions involving some 3000 clients AKATAKSA is noted with ABOVE STANDARD performance and 100% POSITIVE response. All AKATAKSA items are shipped from within the United States. Most 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 18 years. WE ALSO PROMISE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ASSURE THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH YOUR PURCHASES.

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.\"

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND SUPPORT