Description: Terracotta. Peru, Chavín culture, ca. 500 BCE
The vessel has a curved, u-shaped body similar in form to a cucumber, the bottom flat and the curved handle serving as a bridge between the two parts. On one end is the spout, while, on the other, a human head closes off the piece. The head has large eyes, a wide, narrow mouth and a twisted cloth or ribbon running around its forehead. The man’s body and extremities are depicted with engraved lines and is proportionally very small. The vessel is black-gray in color and polish. The Chavín culture of the Peruvian highlands experienced its golden age from about 850 to 200 BCE.
Dimensions: HEIGHT 17.8 CM, WIDTH 17.5 CM
Condition: Generally well preserved
Provenance: Formerly part of Dr. Gottfried Eysank von Marienfels’ collection, Bad Sch?nau, Austria, acquired around 1970