Double Spout and Bridge vessel with Bird and Feline Face
Date: 8th-4th century B.C.
Geography: Peru
Culture: Paracas
Medium: Ceramic, pigment
Dimensions: H x W 5 3/4 in. x 6 7/8 in (14.6 x 17.5 cm)
Classification: Ceramics, containers
Credit Line: Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1976
Accession No.: 1976.287.17
Beyond the vessel double spout and bridge form associated with Paracas ritual, two features of this double-spout and bridge vessel connect to Paracas ideology. This vessel, also has a figural relief of a bird’s head on one of the stirrup spout, like the Bottle with Bird vessel, 62.266.8. However, this spout is “blind” meaning it is modeled in figural relief blocking the flow of liquid. The bird’s head is highlighted by the post-fire resin orange paint. Birds are a common motif in Paracas ideology, depicted in various mediums, yet their association with whistling vessels suggested a connection to birds’ songs. Below the bird head “blind” spout, incised decoration on the vessel’s body depicts a feline face with fangs. The feline has stylistic parallels with the contemporaneous Chavin cultural tradition of the central Andean highlands. Post-fire resin pigments in alternating orange, white, and faded tan or yellow emphasize the form of the snout, and angular fangs. This vessel emphasizes local Paracas tradition through vessel form, decoration technique, and its bird imagery, however the feline face indicates that Paracas was also influenced by other cultural traditions.
