In the Ancient Americas as in the classical world,
the owl was associated with wisdom as well as
with the supernatural. Because of its ability to
see in the dark, the owl was often linked to the
underworld and to the rites of death. This
magnificent Chavin vessel radiates a powerful
aura of magic. Elegantly stylized, it depicts four
owls sharing their wide-open eyes, watchfully
facing in all four directions as if to ward off any
approaching evil. A masterpiece of early Peruvian
art, the vessel reaches us on both the aesthetic
level and on a primal emotional one.
- (K.057)
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