Double Spout Vessel Depicting Figure Costumed as Pampas Cat with Bean Motifs c. 180 - 500

This Nazca ceramic vessel from c. 180-500 CE depicts a figure costumed as a Pampas cat, a feline native to South America. The artwork features a stylized human face with large eyes, a wide mouth, and a headdress. The artist used various colors like red, brown, and white to depict the figure and bean motifs, the latter representing a common theme within the Nazca culture, believed to symbolize fertility. Found at The Art Institute of Chicago, this double-spout vessel is a fine example of the complex and intricate designs found in Nazca ceramics.