Globular vessel with stirrup handle; Nazca culture,... Lot 39

Globular vessel with stirrup handle; Nazca culture, Peru, AD 200-600. Polychrome pottery. It shows superficial wear. Measurements: 18 x 10 x 11 cm. Sculptural vessel made of polychrome ceramic. The piece stands out for the zoomorphic structure it adopts, which takes the form of a penguin, with open flippers, giving the piece great expressiveness. The Nazca culture developed in Peru in the valleys of what is now the department of Ica, between the 1st and 7th centuries, and had its main centre in Cahuachi. Its pottery is one of the most highly regarded in ancient Peru, both for its quality and its variety. The Nazca used a peculiar technique, which consisted of painting the entire surface of the vessel before firing, with polychrome pigments applied in up to eleven gradations of colour, in a wide variety of shades. Most Nazca vessels have a globular belly with two spouts or spouts and a bridging handle.