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Bottle, Monkey

Bottle, Monkey. Culture: Nasca. Dimensions: Overall: 6 1/2 in. (16.51 cm) Other: 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm). Date: 1st century B.C.-A.D. 1st century. This double-spouted bottle features the horizontal relief figure of a monkey decorated with red, white, and black slip. Vegetal leaves decorate the monkey's body. A human face is incised into the end of its tail, which encircles the bottle's chamber. Vessels like this one were most likely made sometime around A.D. 425-550 by the Nasca culture of Peru's south coast. The form of the figure on this bottle may be the "Mythical Monkey," which has been identified on late Paracas and early Nasca embroidered textiles dating from 100 B.C.-A.D. 100. The Paracas culture predates the Nasca on the south coast of Peru. This bottle's human features, agricultural plant decoration, and forehead ornaments are characteristic of the Mythical Monkey. Although monkeys are not native to coastal Peru, the Mythical Monkey figure is a prevalent motif in Nasca iconography often associated with water. Highly skilled Nasca potters hand-formed vessels through various techniques, like coiling and using a paddle and anvil, to achieve a wide range of forms. Expanding on the technology of their Paracas (700 B.C.-A.D. 1) predecessors, the Nasca are noted for their use of extremely fine polychrome slip pigments. In contrast to the ceramics of Paracas, which were painted post-fired, Nasca potters applied a mixture of coloring agents and natural chemical compounds before firing their vessels. After firing, the hardened slip was then polished to a glossy finish with implements like canvas and leather strips or pumpkin rinds. Bottles like this one may have held liquids and been used for ritual purposes. Like many ancient societies, the Nasca included highly decorated bottles in graves of the deceased along with valuable textiles and other precious mortuary goods. Anne Carlisle, M.A. Candidate, Bard Graduate Center, 2017.
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Title:
Bottle, Monkey
Caption:
Bottle, Monkey. Culture: Nasca. Dimensions: Overall: 6 1/2 in. (16.51 cm) Other: 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm). Date: 1st century B.C.-A.D. 1st century. This double-spouted bottle features the horizontal relief figure of a monkey decorated with red, white, and black slip. Vegetal leaves decorate the monkey's body. A human face is incised into the end of its tail, which encircles the bottle's chamber. Vessels like this one were most likely made sometime around A.D. 425-550 by the Nasca culture of Peru's south coast. The form of the figure on this bottle may be the "Mythical Monkey," which has been identified on late Paracas and early Nasca embroidered textiles dating from 100 B.C.-A.D. 100. The Paracas culture predates the Nasca on the south coast of Peru. This bottle's human features, agricultural plant decoration, and forehead ornaments are characteristic of the Mythical Monkey. Although monkeys are not native to coastal Peru, the Mythical Monkey figure is a prevalent motif in Nasca iconography often associated with water. Highly skilled Nasca potters hand-formed vessels through various techniques, like coiling and using a paddle and anvil, to achieve a wide range of forms. Expanding on the technology of their Paracas (700 B.C.-A.D. 1) predecessors, the Nasca are noted for their use of extremely fine polychrome slip pigments. In contrast to the ceramics of Paracas, which were painted post-fired, Nasca potters applied a mixture of coloring agents and natural chemical compounds before firing their vessels. After firing, the hardened slip was then polished to a glossy finish with implements like canvas and leather strips or pumpkin rinds. Bottles like this one may have held liquids and been used for ritual purposes. Like many ancient societies, the Nasca included highly decorated bottles in graves of the deceased along with valuable textiles and other precious mortuary goods. Anne Carlisle, M.A. Candidate, Bard Graduate Center, 2017
Technique/material:
Ceramic, slip
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
4200 x 3709 px | 44.6 MB
Print size:
35.6 x 31.4 cm | 14.0 x 12.4 in (300 dpi)
Keywords:
ARTS OF AFRICA, OCEANIA, AND THE AMERICAS • BOTTLES • CERAMIC, SLIP • CERAMICS • CERAMICS-CONTAINERS • CLAY • METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA • PERU • PERU, ICA VALLEY • SLIP • SOUTH AMERICA • VESSELS