Incised bowl with geometric pattern
Unknown Artist
6th–4th century BCE
Medium
Ceramic, pigment
Dimensions
H. 2 1/4 × Diam. 6 5/8 in. (5.7 × 16.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Containers
Culture
Paracas
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1962
Accession Number
62.266.30
Art Historical Context
This delicate incised bowl, crafted by an unknown Paracas artist between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, offers a window into the vibrant world of ancient Peru's south coast. The Paracas culture, flourishing from around 800 to 100 BCE, was renowned for its sophisticated textiles and ceramics, with early examples like this one showcasing a mastery of geometric abstraction. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, this ceramic container—measuring just 2¼ inches high and 6⅝ inches in diameter—was generously gifted by Nathan Cummings in 196...