Lot 5B
Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca, ca. 200 BCE to 300 CE. A cream-slipped terracotta jar of elegant flared form, decorated with three painted fish motifs rendered in bold black pigment around the exterior. Each fish is stylized with segmented bodies and angular fins, the sharp outlines accentuated by dark brushwork that contrasts with the pale surface. The rhythmic placement of the three aquatic forms suggests movement around the vessels circumference, reflecting the Nazca mastery of geometric abstraction and repetition. Fish were central to the lifeways of the Nazca, who inhabited the arid valleys of southern Peru yet relied heavily on coastal resources for sustenance and ritual practice. Aquatic imagery is a recurring theme in Nazca ceramics, symbolizing fertility, abundance, and the vital connection between land and sea. This vessel, with its clean profile and restrained yet evocative decoration, exemplifies the Nazca tradition of uniting functional form with powerful symbolic design. Size: 4.6" Diameter x 4.1" H (11.7 cm x 10.4 cm)
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.
Provenance: private Colorado collection, USA, acquired via Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Colorado, USA; ex-private southern California, USA collection, acquired via Arte Xibalba, Osprey, Florida, USA in 2008; ex-collection of Andrea Sarmiento, Miami, Florida, USA
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#197184
- Condition: A few minor stable, hairline surface fissures near rim and some light surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining pigments. TL holes to underside of base and interior of rim.
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