Polychrome Warriors Vessel, Pre-Columbian, Nazca culture, Southern Peru, ca. 200-600 CE. Estimate $1,200 – $1,500. Photo Artemis Gallery.
Large polychrome pottery bridge-spout vessel decorated in the form of a warrior with modeled face emerging from the front and five warriors rendered in composite profile on his mantle, hand painted in distinct shades of red, black, beige, and cream. Jar is painted with battle scenes and implements of war with atl atl below the head and those very terrifying abstract warriors to each side and rear. The Nazca replaced post-firing resin painting with pre-firing slip painting making for a great deal of experimentation to learn which slips produced certain colors. Note the painstaking technique required to adorn this vessel with intricate details and geometric motifs in such a wide range of hues! Size: 7″ W x 6-1/4″ H
Provenance: Ex-private C. Sobredo Collection, acquired in 1964.
Artemis Gallery LIVE. Antiquities, Pre-Columbian & Tribal Art. February 13, 2015