Description:

Pre-Columbian, South Coast Peru, Nazca culture, ca. 100 to 600 CE. A finely painted Nazca pottery bowl, formed with a shallow, rounded body and straight walls, its terracotta surface enlivened by a repeating register of bold geometric motifs. The decoration consists of alternating panels of sinuous step-fret scrolls in red and black pigments, set against a cream ground, each panel separated by vertical linear dividers. The striking interplay of color and pattern creates a rhythmic effect that reflects the Nazca mastery of polychrome ceramic painting. The interior remains undecorated, emphasizing the contrast between the vessel's functional form and its highly ornamented exterior. Nazca ceramics are celebrated for their complex iconography and vivid palette, achieved through refined slip-painting techniques. While figural scenes of deities and mythic beings are more elaborate examples, geometric vessels such as this embody the same aesthetic principles of symmetry, balance, and abstraction that characterize the tradition. Size: 7.3" Diameter x 3" H (18.5 cm x 7.6 cm)

Bowls of this type likely served both domestic and ceremonial functions, with their polychrome surfaces evoking cosmological order and visual dynamism.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated by Kotalla Laboratory. A full report will accompany the item upon purchase.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-K & K Auctions, Heidelberg, Germany; ex-private German collection

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#197650

  • Condition: Repaired with some chipping, infill, and adhesive along visible break lines. Chip to interior of rim. Good remaining pigment. TL holes to interior of rim and underside of base.

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October 17, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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