Pre-Columbian, Peru South Coast, Nazca culture, ca. 100 to 400 CE. A polychrome drinking vessel with its body shaped to look like a human head painted with elaborate geometric and abstract motifs. A spout and handle project from the back of the head. The base is gently rounded, made to be buried in sand. The body of the jar is painted in the style of a head wearing a feathered headdress, with face paint/tattoo marks and wide staring eyes - instantly recognizable as Nazca for its bold lines and strong colors. In fact, Nazca pottery has the widest range of colors found in any pre-Columbian pottery! This item would have been used for drinking fermented chicha, a type of corn beer, and probably placed into a burial to hold offerings. Disembodied heads are a theme in pre-Columbian indigenous Andean art, leading many to believe that they correspond to the taking of trophy heads from enemies. Size: 4.85" W x 5.25" H (12.3 cm x 13.3 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex private Los Angeles, California, USA collection

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#132280

Well done repair to handle, with overpainting/restoration along the repair lines.