Nasca double spout and bridge with hummingbirds around flowers
This piece is a double-spout-and-bridge vessel decorated with a multitude of multicolored hummingbirds swarming around a pair of flowers.in shape, with a double-spout-and-bridge on the top. The overall shape is fairly straightforward in shape, but its detail comes in with what is rendered on the vessel’s surface. The base ceramic is a reddish brown, signaling that it was created in an oxidized atmosphere. It is minimally glossy, reflecting only a small amount of light. The vessel overall is decidedly polychrome, featuring hummingbirds of seven colors: yellow, red, pink, light blue, and white, with black outlines on a dark blue background. One of the flowers is white, and the other is yellow, and each has a dark center.
The hummingbirds swarm across the entire vessel, with some of their tails wrapping down to near its base. They are not positioned at random however. The birds all circle around the pair of flowers on each side of the vessel, seemingly jostling for a spot around the primary food sources of a hummingbird. Both the flowers and the hummingbirds are rendered naturalistically, with a fairly high level of detail present on the birds. This can be seen in countershading present on real hummingbirds, as well as individual wing and tail feathers painted on with black outlines.
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Early Intermediate Period (200 BCE-600 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
13 (h) cm.
5 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-259
Peru--South Coast
Nasca double spout and bridge with birds
Repeating birds
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Late Intermediate Period (900‐1450 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
15.2 (h) cm.
6 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-253
Peru--North Coast
Nasca double spout and bridge with birds, fish, and chili peppers
bird figures with fish and chili pepper
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Early Intermediate Period (200 BCE-600 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
19 (h) cm.
7.5 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-243
Peru--South Coast
Nasca double spout and bridge with birds
Repeating birds
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Late Intermediate Period (900‐1450 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
16.5 (h) cm.
6.5 (h) in
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-240
Peru--North Coast
Nasca bowl with birds
Repeating birds
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Early Intermediate Period (200 BCE-500 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
15.9 (h) cm.
6.25 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-211
Peru--South Coast
Nasca bowl with birds
Repeating birds
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Late Intermediate Period (900‐1450 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
17.8 (h) cm.
7 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-197
Peru--North Coast
Nasca Hummingbird and Flower Polychrome Bowl
This object is a naturalistic, mineral-based polychrome vessel from the Early Nasca period (200-400 CE), falling under the larger Early Intermediate Period (200-600 CE). The wide-mouthed ceramic bowl stands approximately six inches tall and could probably be used to hold solids or liquids. It also appears to be a thrown vessel which was slip-painted pre-firing, as is typical of Nasca ceramics of this time. Highly legible depictions of naturalistic elements were common of the Early Nasca.
The bowl is characterized by a smooth, matte surface and 2-dimensional design. The hand-painted flora and fauna iconography represents hand painted hummingbird figures and flowers. These images are surrounded in curvilinear black outline expressing smooth contours. A mirroring pattern of large hummingbirds facing one another is repeated across the center band of the bowl. Two of the hummingbird figures appear to be equally distributing a yellow flower between their beaks. The eyes of the hummingbirds are large and white with a small black pupil, which is typical of Nasca depiction as well. The base of the bowl is characterized by rich burgundy pigmentation, which is repeated on the bodies of the birds and the rim of the bowl. Mineral-based tones are presented in the grays, browns, and whites of the birds’ head and wings. The composition of naturalistic elements heightens the overall legibility of this piece, though certain areas appear to be heavily worn and are missing paint.
Nasca
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Early Intermediate Period (200 BCE-600 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
15 (h) cm.
6 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-182
Peru--South Coast
Chimu stirrup spout bottle with a modeled bird on the stirrup
Whistling bottle with a bird on one spout
Chimu
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Late Intermediate Period (900‐1450 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
24.8 (d) x 19.3 (h) cm.
9.8 (d) x 7.5 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-69
Peru--North Coast
Chimu stirrup spout bottle with birds and chili peppers
The Chimu stirrup spout bottle is monochromatic and features a bronze slip and a smooth burnished finish, known as blackware. The ceramic vessel has naturalistic imagery which includes eight life-size chili peppers which stem down from the top of the vessel and the base of either spout. Three of the chili peppers protrude from the center of the vessel’s body on both sides while two more protrude from either side in relief. There is also an appliqué animal in the form of a small sculptural bird that buttresses the place where the spout meets. The handle of the stirrup is decorated by ten small bird engravings on both sides.
Chimu
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Late Intermediate Period (1000-1438 CE)-Late Horizon (1438-1532 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
25 (h) in.
10 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-65
Peru--North Coast
Chimu stirrup spout bottle with a modeled bird on the stirrup
Bird on stirrup
Chimu
Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
Late Intermediate Period (900‐1450 CE)
If you would like to publish this image in print or electronically, please contact the Curator of the Art & Art History Collection, Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, at astrid@austin.utexas.edu.
Jack Danciger Collection
12.3 (d) x 20.4 (h) cm.
4.8 (d) x 8 (h) in.
Three dimensional object
Ceramic
1608-56
Peru--North Coast