Beaker in the Form of a Trophy Head with Bound Lips c. 180 - 500

This is a ceramic beaker in the form of a trophy head, crafted by the Nazca people of ancient Peru. The practice of head-taking was a ritual act, deeply embedded in the social and religious life of the Nazca. The captured heads were believed to contain the life force of the vanquished, and were transformed into ritual objects. In this case, a vessel. This object invites us to consider the relationship between violence and veneration, between objectification and embodiment. What does it mean to drink from the head of another? Is it an act of domination, or one of communion? The bound lips of the trophy head suggest a silencing, yet the vessel itself speaks volumes about Nazca beliefs. The transition of a human head into a vessel suggests a potent transformation. It's a visceral reminder of the interconnectedness of life and death, and the complex ways in which societies grapple with power, identity, and the human body.