Jar with Human and Supernatural Beings

Jar with Human and Supernatural Beings

300-400 CE
Culture
Nasca
Locale
Peru, south coast
Country
Peru
Object
jar
Medium
Slip-painted ceramic
Accession Number
1951.55
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Max Giesecke and John Roberts

Unknown Nasca artist, South coast, Peru. Jar with Human and Supernatural Beings, 300–400 CE. Slip-painted ceramic, 5 x 5 ¼ inches. Gift of Dr. Max Giesecke and John Roberts, 1951.55.

Dimensions
height: 5 in, 12.7000 cm; width: 5.25 in, 13.3350 cm
Department
Mayer Center, Arts of the Ancient Americas
Collection
Arts of the Ancient Americas
This object is currently on view

Jar with Human and Supernatural Beings
Nasca
About A.D. 300–400
Peru, south coast
Earthenware with colored slips
Gift of Dr. Max Giesecke and John Roberts, 1951.55

The Nasca people occupied several river valleys on Peru’s arid southern coast, and developed sophisticated irrigation technology to water their crops.  Today, the Nasca are probably best known for the Nazca lines, large-scale linear and pictorial markings on the windswept plateaus above the inhabited valleys.  Nasca ceramics are notable for their fine craftsmanship, with thin walls and multicolored slip-painted decoration.  Imagery from the natural world includes birds, felines, foxes, killer whales, and human beings.  Supernatural beings wear masks and headgear with branching elements, and often appear to fly or float in space. On this small bottle are painted two supernatural beings, each of which grasps a human figure that it appears to taste or consume.

Known Provenance
Collection of Dr. Max Giesecke & John Roberts, Denver, CO, before 1951; gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 1951.