peru, south coast, paracas culture
The deserts of Peru’s Paracas peninsula, whose name means “sand fall‑
Vessel depicting a falcon
ing like rain,” have preserved fragile objects deposited in cemeteries there
c. 500–400 bc
some two thousand years ago. In the late 1920s, Peruvian archaeologists
Ceramic and resin-suspended paint
recovered more than four hundred textile‑wrapped funerary bundles from
43/* × 5 1/* in. diam. ( 11.1 × 13 cm)
Paracas excavations, and ceramic vessels attributable to the Paracas culture
The Nora and John Wise Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jake L. Hamon, the Eugene McDermott Family,
have been found on the peninsula and in nearby valleys. The best‑known
Mr. and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows
Paracas pottery type is an incised vessel enhanced by the application of
Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. John D. Murchison,
resin‑based paint after firing. This example, with its beautifully preserved
1976.W.85
paint, is also characteristic in form: a rounded base and two spouts are joined by a flat strap or bridge, which functioned as a handle. The body of a bird spreads gracefully over the hemispheric chamber, while a modeled head forms the base of one spout. The chevron motif below each eye identi‑ fies the bird as a falcon, a frequent theme in Paracas art.
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ancient and native american
3121-02 DMA handbook Ancient [RCP 10-7].indd 24
10/11/11 4:08 PM