Globular vessel; Paracas culture, Peru, 700-300... Lot 42

Globular vessel; Paracas culture, Peru, 700-300 BC. Polychrome pottery. Thermoluminescence report attached. In good state of preservation. Measurements: 20.5 x 17.5 cm (diameter). Globular vessel made of polychrome ceramic, which sits on a circular base that gives way to the large-diameter body where almost all of the ornamentation is found. The decoration is based on the schematic and symbolic representation of two jaguars, separated from each other by bands of geometric structure. The mouth of the piece, which is also round in shape, has a flat finish and a wide neck on which it sits. The use of colouring stands out to a great extent, with warm, bright tones for the most part, a characteristic of this culture. The Paracas culture is the ancestor of the Nazca, with which it shows a clear cultural affinity. Developed in ancient Peru in the period known as the Late Formative or Early Horizon, it developed on the Paracas peninsula in the Ica region between 700 and 200 BC. Its most outstanding artistic manifestation was textile production, with high-quality wool and cotton pieces, although its pottery and basketry also stand out. As for their pottery, the Paracas is recognised as the most complete in its evolution of the entire Andean Formative period. It has very varied forms, vessels of all kinds, both for use and rituals, as well as anthropomorphic sculptures. The decoration of these pieces generally followed the same pattern: the motifs were delimited by incised lines, usually angular, made when the clay was still wet. After the bisque was fired, the polychromy was applied, using resin-based colours, mainly black, red, green, yellow and orange.