Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, ca. 400 to 700 CE. A hand-built pottery anthropomorphic jar with a globular body, a flat and stable base, and a warrior's head forming a finial. The nearly spherical body is painted in dark red slip with a beige ring and circles decorating the surface just below the warrior's neck. The warrior is delightfully molded, with oversized, heavy lidded eyes, bulbous nose, and large lips. His ears stick out to the sides, and both contain a circular impression to indicate earspools. Upon his head is a helmet or cap, complete with a chin strap and a conical ornament that likely marked his status in society. The broad spout protrudes from behind his head at an angle. The Moche are one of the few Pre-Columbian cultures to produce portrait vessels that depicted individuals. This individual has some unique features that likely represented an older man complete with wrinkles. Size: 6" W x 8.5" H (15.2 cm x 21.6 cm)
Provenance: ex-Ashland University Museum, Ashland, Ohio, USA, donated to Ashland University between July 1994 to December 1998
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#166334
Condition
Fading and chipping of some pigments. Chips to rim of spout. Surface abrasions and pitting to verso of man's head. Nice burnishing marks, pigments, and fine details.