Anthropomorphic vessel; Chancay; Peru, c. 1200 A.D.

Anthropomorphic vessel; Chancay; Peru, c. 1200 A.D.
Polychrome terracotta.
Presents restoration in the rear area of the mouth.
Measurements: 27 x 14 cm (diameter).
Chancay vessel, made of ceramic, decorated with dark pigments abundant motifs in relief. The anthropomorphic structure of the piece adopts the representation of a squatting character, holding an ocarina.
The Chancay was a pre-Inca civilization developed on the central coast of Peru during the Late Intermediate period, between 1200 and 1470. It arose after the dissolution of the Wari culture, and was finally conquered by the Inca Empire. Within its material culture, pottery stands out especially, produced on a large scale thanks to the use of molds. The Chancay ceramic pieces have more than four hundred different shapes, and generally have motifs painted in black or brown on a cream or white background.