Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca, ca. 200 to 500 CE. A hand-built pottery bowl slipped and painted with vibrant hues and flying figures with their legs outstretched wearing elaborate red headdresses - possibly a depiction of shamans, powerful rulers, or mythical deities. The shape is certainly noteworthy: kidney or bean shaped, and since legumes were a staple of the Nazca, the plants domesticated in the Andres around 2000 BCE - arguably this is a homage to the vital crop. The European export of beans from the capital of Lima eventually led to the common name, despite the difference in pronunciation between the city and bean, and their Latin name "lunatus" refers to their half-moon shape that this bowl perfectly exhibits! Interestingly, decapitation and the use of trophy heads was a common practice that symbolized power and dominance over one's enemies, however the heads may have been a symbol of fertility, as some sprouting beans are also depicted as trophy heads. Size: 5.75" L x 2.5" W x 2.3" H (14.6 cm x 6.4 cm x 5.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

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#174900

Repaired, piece reattached to rim, and losses to this area. Stable hair line fissures radiating from rim and chips to surface pigments. Abrasions and chipping to interior. Unique shape and great preservation to motifs.