Chancay Polychrome Female Figure (Priestess), Peru, 12th to 15th Century AD Large Chancay terracotta figure depicting a standing female personage, likely representing a priestess or woman of ceremonial importance. The figure displays the characteristic artistic conventions of the Chancay culture, with a cylindrical body, raised arms, and a broad headdress decorated with alternating bands of red, cream, and dark pigment. Particularly noteworthy is the remarkable preservation of the original polychromy on the face and arms, features that are often lost on surviving examples. The stylized facial features, painted decoration, and imposing size place this figure among the more desirable examples of Chancay funerary sculpture. Such figures were produced for inclusion in elite burials and served both symbolic and ritual functions within the funerary traditions of Peru’s central coast during the Late Intermediate Period. The preservation of the original pigments greatly enhances its visual and historical appeal. Material: Polychrome terracotta Dimensions: Height 41 cm Provenance: Ex Private Collection of HRH Prince Henri of Denmark. Formerly in the Preben Christiansen Collection, Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 2006). Collected during his time as a guide in Central and South America during the 1960s–1970s. All items come with CoA.