Pre-Columbian, Peru, Nazca, ca. 100 to 300 CE. A hand-built pottery jar of a voluminous form with a round but stable base, a compressed spherical body with a central carination, and a tall, flared rim surrounding the deep basin. Displayed along the highly burnished surfaces is a register of abstract creatures with two pairs of eyes, tendril-form projections, outstretched arms and legs, and colorful faces with protruding tongues. Below the creatures is a register of disembodied trophy heads, each with a minimalist face surmounted with a trapezoidal coiffure. Trophy heads in Nazca culture were believed to bestow magical and spiritual powers upon the executioner, and warriors would claim the heads of their victims as war prizes. Size: 5.25" W x 4.8" H (13.3 cm x 12.2 cm)

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010

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#164241

Repaired from a few large pieces, with light restoration along flared rim, and resurfacing with overpainting along new material and break lines. Minor abrasions to interior and exterior surfaces, and light fading to exterior pigment. Great preservation of abstract creatures and trophy heads. TL drill holes beneath base and along top of rim interior.