Bowl with Costumed Being
Unknown Artist
100 BCE–700 CE
Medium
earthenware with colored slips
Dimensions
h. 13 cm · diameter: 12.8 × 17.7 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of John Wise
Accession Number
1949.561
About this artwork
Supernatural figures like the one on this bowl are shown wearing ornaments that actually exist-like the nearby Mouth Mask-they may represent humans clothed as deities who served as living cult images during rituals. The figure holds a severed head that probably alludes to capture of an enemy’s life force, since severed heads and fertility are linked in Nasca art.