Chancay North Central Coast Ceramic Figure

ca. 1200 – 1400 AD

2.125" H x 8.5” L x 5.625” W

Hand Coiled Flat Ceramic Figure with Black and White Body with Arms Bent Upwards at Sides with Geometric Band Across Forehead with 3 Round Holes at Top of Headdress and Holes in Ears and Under Each Arm and is Probably Pachamama the Goddess of Fertility

In Good Condition with Typical Aged Wear Chipped Foot and Hole on Heel and Soiled

Chancay culture was a Pre-Inca civilization that flourished along the central coast of Peru, primarily in the Chancay and Chillón valleys, from approximately 1000 to 1470 CE. It emerged after the decline of the Wari Empire and was eventually conquered by the Chimú and later the Inca Empire. 

The Chancay people were renowned for their distinctive ceramic figurines, particularly standing and seated female figures.  These sculptures, often made from molded clay and painted in a black-on-white style, are characterized by:

Large, prominent eyes and simplified facial features. 
Exposed genitalia, emphasizing fertility and life-giving power. 
Extended arms in a gesture that may symbolize welcome, ritual, or invocation. 
Stylized body forms with a strong silhouette, designed to be visible from a distance. 
One notable example is the "Chancay Pottery Stargazer Figure", a standing female figure with an upward tilt of the head, possibly indicating prayer, trance, or communication with ancestors.  Some figures are thought to represent ritual specialists or spiritual beings, with body paint that may symbolize a connection to animals like the whale shark, a creature associated with spiritual travel between worlds due to its deep-diving abilities. 

These figurines, often called cuchimilcos, were likely used as funerary offerings, serving as companions or guardians in the afterlife.  They were frequently found in tombs, sometimes placed in tiers around a mummy bundle, suggesting complex burial rituals. Other Chancay artifacts include textiles, wood carvings, and human-shaped jars, reflecting a rich and diverse artistic tradition.