Globular bottle; Chavin Culture, Peru, 400-200 BC.

Globular bottle; Chavin Culture, Peru, 400-200 BC.
Ceramic.
Measurements: 22 x 16 cm.
Gray ceramic bottle with globular shape, flat base and cylindrical neck ending in a flat mouth. The exterior of the body presents incised ornamentation with abstract forms and floral motifs.
The Chavin culture, one of the great American civilizations, developed between the Mosna and Huachecsa rivers in Peru. It was a culture of great historical and cultural importance, whose influences can be observed in other contemporary peoples. It is believed that they had jaguars as gods, since this feline is frequently represented in their art, especially in ceramics. This was a period characterized by the intensification of religious worship, the appearance of ceramics closely related to ceremonial centers and the development of metallurgy and textile arts. Within its artistic production, the pottery was especially extraordinary; it is generally monochrome, although sometimes it appears decorated with red and black-silver colors, and generally appears decorated with incisions and stippled stippling. Many of these vessels are decorated with representations of animals, plants and human figures, covering a wide range of themes. Their shapes will vary slightly over time, but will almost always include a stirrup handle.