Darkware Vessel
Unknown Artist
late 1400s
Medium
black ware
Dimensions
22.6 × 13.7 × 13.9 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Dr. Arthur P. Ginn
Accession Number
1920.258
About this artwork
Under the Chimú, whose empire stretched for 800 miles along the Peruvian north coast, the value of ceramics fell, perhaps because high-status vessels were made of precious metals. Accordingly, ceramics were mass-produced with molds and, rather than bearing painted scenes, often have an overall dark surface achieved by firing in a smoky atmosphere. This firing method was also used for very early Andean ceramics, including the example at the far left. We don't know whether the Chimú revived the me...