Vessel with Painted Landscape c. 180 - 500

This vessel was made by a member of the Nazca culture, using earthenware clay and painted slips. The double spout and bridge handle is a distinctive form for the Nazca, as is the polychrome decoration. The imagery is highly stylized, and applied with considerable skill. The painted lines are crisp, and the colors are saturated. The labor invested here suggests that this was an object of considerable value, though it is made of humble materials. We also see skilled use of the coil and scrape technique, which is the method of forming ceramic vessels by building the walls with coils of clay, then thinning the walls by using a tool to compress it, adding the slip decorations after. While its original use remains unknown, it probably contained liquids, and served a ceremonial function. This vessel reminds us that even the simplest materials, when worked with expertise, can convey complex cultural meanings. It bridges the divide between utilitarian object and precious artifact.