GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The spherical body of this vessel shows a contrast of smooth and textured surfaces, and a fine polish accentuates the steely gray-brown color. Various characteristics relate it stylistically to other ceramics from the Jequetepeque Valley: the fine gray polish; treatment of the slim, slightly flaring stirrup-spout; horizontal division; the use of incising; and the extremely stylized animal heads. The decoration is divided into quadrants. Two opposing quadrants are plain, and the intervening ones each have differently incised textures. One is a field of parallel lines running diagonally, and the more elaborately incised quadrant has a diagonal checkerboard pattern filled with a textile or basketry weave, a decoration that is rare in vessels of this type. Where the quadrants touch, incised motifs seem to overlap the textured fields. The two motifs nearest the arms of the stirrup-spout are thick, pointed bracket shapes with inward-curling ends. Alternating with those are extremely stylized, but distinct, profile heads that may represent felines. Both are connected by means of their extended tongues.
Adapted from
- Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries.
- DMA unpublished material.
NOTES
- Cupisnique, Initial Period, 1000–700 B.C.E. (noted on TMS), updated by KJones on 11/29/13 and 01/10/17.
- Fun Facts Source: Junius B. Bird Report, 1/26/1976, p. 38, TMS, Notes / Text Entries, Attribution.
- General Description drawn from: DMA Label Copy (1976.W.68), n.d.; DMA unpublished material [Object Information Sheet (1976.W.68), n.d., Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential].
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Chavín horizon: AAT: 300017269
Cupisnique (Coast Chavin): AAT: 30017270
Geography
Peru (nation): TGN: 1000056
Jequetepeque (Río): TGN: 1125162
Process/materials
ceramic (material): AAT: 300235507
clay: AAT: 300010439
burnishing (polishing): AAT: 30053869
coiling (pottery technique): AAT: 300053903
modeling (forming): AAT: 300053130
incising: AAT: 300053847
firing (technique): AAT: 300053887
kilns (ovens / heating equipment): AAT: 300022798
relief: AAT: 300053622
Historical periods
Initial Period: AAT: 300017264
Individuals
Subject terms
vessels (containers): AAT: 300193015
bridge spouts: AAT: 300203289
stirrup-spout vessel (containers): DMA
linear forms: AAT: 300234452
geometric motifs: AAT: 300009764
geometric patterns: AAT: 300165213
texture: AAT: 3000056362
textiles (visual works): AAT: 300014063
basketry: AAT: 300053590
baskets (containers): AAT: 300194498
profiles (figures): AAT: 300123319
head: AAT: 300262520
trophy heads (trophies of war): DMA
trophies (objects): AAT: 300233975
trophies of war (objects): AAT: 300379111
lines (geometric concept): AAT: 300056279
parallel (positional attributes): AAT: 300010284
smooth (smoothness / texture): AAT: 300056364
quadrant (shape): AAT: 300078757
basket weave (patterns): DMA
crisscross grain (patterns): DMA
feline: DMA
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1976: Nora and John Wise, New York [1]
From 1976: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, The Nora and John Wise Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jake L. Hamon, the Eugene McDermott Family, Mr. and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows Foundation, Incorporated, and Mr. and Mrs. John D. Murchison [1], [2]
[1] The main source for this provenance is Object Information Card (n.d., copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[2] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
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WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- In his 1976 report, Junius B. Bird, curator emeritus of South American archaeology at the American Museum of Natural History, notes: "****R18. Spherical body with incised feline? heads. One quadrant has textile or matting treatment resembling the incised decoration on the small soapstone "spirit seats" used in recent years in Aymara divination. Opposing quadrant has incised parallel lines. Spout may have been resurfaced."
- Correspondence from Elizabeth Benson (1977) indicates that she believes the heads may represent trophy heads.
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Apply to objects where number equals 1976.W.68
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General Description
The spherical body of this vessel shows a contrast of smooth and textured surfaces, and a fine polish accentuates the steely gray-brown color. Various characteristics relate it stylistically to other ceramics from the Jequetepeque Valley: the fine gray polish; treatment of the slim, slightly flaring stirrup-spout; horizontal division; the use of incising; and the extremely stylized animal heads. The decoration is divided into quadrants. Two opposing quadrants are plain, and the intervening ones each have differently incised textures. One is a field of parallel lines running diagonally, and the more elaborately incised quadrant has a diagonal checkerboard pattern filled with a textile or basketry weave, a decoration that is rare in vessels of this type. Where the quadrants touch, incised motifs seem to overlap the textured fields. The two motifs nearest the arms of the stirrup-spout are thick, pointed bracket shapes with inward-curling ends. Alternating with those are extremely stylized, but distinct, profile heads that may represent felines. Both are connected by means of their extended tongues.
Adapted from
- Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries.
- DMA unpublished material.
Fun Facts
- In his 1976 report, Junius B. Bird, curator emeritus of South American archaeology at the American Museum of Natural History, notes: "****R18. Spherical body with incised feline? heads. One quadrant has textile or matting treatment resembling the incised decoration on the small soapstone "spirit seats" used in recent years in Aymara divination. Opposing quadrant has incised parallel lines. Spout may have been resurfaced."
- Correspondence from Elizabeth Benson (1977) indicates that she believes the heads may represent trophy heads.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
- Cupisnique, Initial Period, 1000–700 B.C.E. (noted on TMS), updated by KJones on 11/29/13 and 01/10/17.
- Fun Facts Source: Junius B. Bird Report, 1/26/1976, p. 38, TMS, Notes / Text Entries, Attribution.
- General Description drawn from: DMA Label Copy (1976.W.68), n.d.; DMA unpublished material [Object Information Sheet (1976.W.68), n.d., Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential].
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Chavín horizon: AAT: 300017269
Cupisnique (Coast Chavin): AAT: 30017270
Geography
Peru (nation): TGN: 1000056
Jequetepeque (Río): TGN: 1125162
Process/materials
ceramic (material): AAT: 300235507
clay: AAT: 300010439
burnishing (polishing): AAT: 30053869
coiling (pottery technique): AAT: 300053903
modeling (forming): AAT: 300053130
incising: AAT: 300053847
firing (technique): AAT: 300053887
kilns (ovens / heating equipment): AAT: 300022798
relief: AAT: 300053622
Historical periods
Initial Period: AAT: 300017264
Individuals
Subject terms
vessels (containers): AAT: 300193015
bridge spouts: AAT: 300203289
stirrup-spout vessel (containers): DMA
linear forms: AAT: 300234452
geometric motifs: AAT: 300009764
geometric patterns: AAT: 300165213
texture: AAT: 3000056362
textiles (visual works): AAT: 300014063
basketry: AAT: 300053590
baskets (containers): AAT: 300194498
profiles (figures): AAT: 300123319
head: AAT: 300262520
trophy heads (trophies of war): DMA
trophies (objects): AAT: 300233975
trophies of war (objects): AAT: 300379111
lines (geometric concept): AAT: 300056279
parallel (positional attributes): AAT: 300010284
smooth (smoothness / texture): AAT: 300056364
quadrant (shape): AAT: 300078757
basket weave (patterns): DMA
crisscross grain (patterns): DMA
feline: DMA
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1976: Nora and John Wise, New York [1]
From 1976: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, The Nora and John Wise Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jake L. Hamon, the Eugene McDermott Family, Mr. and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows Foundation, Incorporated, and Mr. and Mrs. John D. Murchison [1], [2]
[1] The main source for this provenance is Object Information Card (n.d., copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[2] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
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