Powerful Puma - bronze and copper vessel

"What I want to transmit is everything that ancient Peruvian cultures left for the world – I want everyone to know these great artisans and their creations." By Angel Franco, this petite vase depicts images from the ancient Inca Empire in repousse. Gleaming bronze pumas prowl on the handcrafted copper vessel. In the Andean world, the puma was revered for its ferocious strength and represented wisdom, intelligence and the political image of the government. Bronze and copper Watertight 0.4 lbs 4.1" H x 4.3" W x 3.9" D "I was born January 27, 1949 in Parinacochas, Ayacucho where I grew up with my parents and siblings. My father was a goldsmith and I inherited my love for art from him. "I married very young so I had to start working on my own. I kept all this from my family and, when they found out about it, they kicked me out of the house. So I found a job in the workshop of an acquaintance. I didn't have any tools and the person that helped me tremendously was a fr