03 January 2012

Double-necked bowl (Peru, 15th century)


From the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
The shallow, slightly incurved bowl sits on three short supports; it has a smaller bowl inside. Two long-necked animals, a llama and a bird, are attached on one side and connected to the inner and outer bowls respectively; they serve as pouring spouts. The slender, spotted body of a third animal, probably a feline, is draped over part of the top of the larger bowl, its paws gripping the rim. The vessel is slip-painted in black and red over buff; around the outer wall is a segmented band depicting insects.

The vessel probably served as a paccha, or ceremonial vessel used for pouring libations such as chicha (maize beer) on the earth to ensure fertility and growth of plentiful crops...
Via A London Salmagundi.

1 comment:

  1. Fantastic--thanks for calling our attention to this work of folk art!

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