Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca culture, ca. 250 BCE to 125 CE. A wonderful and highly-burnished polychrome round-bottomed bowl presenting a mesmerizing iconographic program. Slithering around the exterior walls are two Serpentine Creatures with wide-open eyes, feline mouths and masks, wearing ornamental danglers and trophy head ornaments. Their scaly bodies are filled with additional trophy heads. All is painted in a striking palette of rich red, orange, cream, gray, black, and white hues. Size: 6.125" in diameter x 4.25" H (15.6 cm x 10.8 cm)
For the Nazca and other ancient Peruvian cultures, the decapitation and ritual use of human heads was common; many mythical figures and kings known from Nazca pottery are shown holding trophy heads or in the presence of trophy heads. Archaeological evidence from the 20th century shows that these stylized paintings are based on real rituals - over one hundred mummified trophy heads have been found from Nazca excavations, almost all with a puncture to the front of the skull for suspension. Archaeologists specializing this culture continue to argue over the significance of these heads in Nazca culture. Did they represent warriors fallen in battle, the idea of taking the power of enemies by assuming ownership of a crucial part of their bodies, or a tribute to deceased relatives? The mystery remains.
Provenance: ex-private Sobredo collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in the 1970s
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#148638
Condition
A small crack to the rim, tiny hairline fissure visible on exterior from rim, and chips to exterior walls as shown. Pressure fissures on base. Painted iconography is strong. Nice manganese deposits, especially on the base