Handeled Jar with Painted Relief Depicting Figure with Animals
1000–1476
Medium
Ceramic and pigment
Dimensions
22.4 × 17.5 cm (8 13/16 × 6 7/8 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
91664
Art Historical Context
This exquisite handled jar, crafted by artisans of the Lambayeque culture (also known as Sicán) in northern Peru between 1000 and 1476 CE, exemplifies the sophistication of pre-Columbian ceramics. Made from earthenware and adorned with pigments, the vessel measures 22.4 × 17.5 cm and is now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of the Americas department. The Lambayeque people, who flourished along the coastal Lambayeque Valley before the rise of the Inca Empire, were master potters renowned for their intricate vessels that blended functionality with ritual symbolism. The jar's stando...