Bowl with Thickly-Painted Polychrome Zigzag Motif c. 650

This bowl was made by the Paracas people with ceramic and paint. This is not high-fired porcelain, but humble earthenware. The surface has been built up with strokes of different colors of paint in a freehand zigzag pattern, with a dark underbody. The artist hasn't attempted to hide their process, but rather emphasized it. The visible brushstrokes of the thickly-painted polychrome zigzag motif, applied layer upon layer, suggests a meditative, repetitive action, akin to basket weaving. The fact that the design is painted directly onto the surface, rather than incised or inlaid, speaks to a different attitude towards labor, one where time and attention were valued. It might have been a communal activity. There's a certain beauty in the lack of artifice here. The focus is not on refined materials, but on the simple act of creation. It invites us to consider how the choices of materials, the ways of making, and the social context, contribute to the meaning and significance of an artwork.