Carved alabaster (or related soft stone) ritual votive (illa) of elongated rectangular form, finely executed with a symmetrical composition centered on a sacred enclosure or ceremonial compound. The surrounding carved elements likely symbolize livestock, offerings, or protective forces associated with fertility, prosperity, and agricultural abundance. Traces of original red pigment remain within the recessed carving. Among Aymara and Quechua communities of Bolivia and southern Peru, illas were traditionally used as household ceremonial objects and offerings intended to promote the well-being of families, herds, and crops. Compound-form examples are encountered less frequently than the more common animal-form illas.
Dimensions: 5 x 2 3/4 in. (12.7 x 7 cm)
Provenance: Property from an important private collection, assembled by a dealer and collector over more than six decades.
