Double Spout and Bridge Bottle

Item number 41.426 from the Brooklyn Museum.

Public

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Description

Ceramic vessel with double spouts joined by a bridge handle. Its rounded bottom converges to an almost flat top on which two tapered spouts sit, joined by a convex bridge handle. The reddish clay has painted decoration in red, reddish brown, black, grey, white, and yellow ochre. The upper half of the vase has two supernatural figures with serpent-like figures emanating from their bodies vividly painted on a white background. Encircling the vase below these creatures is a series of human heads. The lower section of the vessel is undecorated. Condition; good; some surface abrasions.

Credit Line

Henry L. Batterman Fund

Label

The ancient Nasca culture, centered on the south coast of Peru, was known for its fine polychrome pottery. In this desert-like region, the Nasca produced imagery that often related to the worship of supernatural beings who assured agricultural success. The highly abstract mythological figures that appear on the upper register of this bottle are most likely connected to these religious beliefs. The band of faces on the lower register may represent women or, alternatively, warriors with face painting under their eyes.