Small Bowl Depicting a Row of Abstract Trophy Heads c. 180 - 500

This small bowl, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, was made by the Nazca people of ancient Peru. The painted decoration shows a series of abstract trophy heads. The culture of the Nazca people, who lived in the arid coastal region of Peru, is associated with ritualistic trophy taking. Ceramic vessels such as this were essential to their culture and were used in feasts and ceremonies. The imagery of the trophy heads is thought to be associated with power and prestige. It is possible that the heads represent captured enemies or members of rival groups. Historians research the social structure of the Nazca people and study archaeological evidence, as well as examine the symbolism and meaning of imagery in Nazca art, to better understand the significance of this bowl and the culture that produced it.