Chimu stirrup spout bottle with a monkey applique

Dublin Core

Title

Chimu stirrup spout bottle with a monkey applique

Description

The object is a blackware ceramic from the Chimu culture during the Late Intermediate Period (900AD - 1476AD.). It is shaped with a narrow-mouthed spout that slopes into a wide chamber for holding liquids. There is a handle that begins at the middle of the neck of the spout to the middle of the pot, giving the carrier a wide amount of space to hold the object. The overall material of the objects appears to be made with a reducing, burnishing technique, giving the object a glossy, blackware appearance that accentuates the smooth, curved angles of the ceramic. Attached to the foot of the spout is a three-dimensional, appliqued monkey with alert eyes and a relaxed body as it grasps to the spout, mimicking how a monkey would grasp a tree in the wild. The mass of the object is a pot with its focus on its smooth, shiny surface. Throughout the surface of the pot, the viewer can see the wear of the object, with scratches and patching of the burnishing revealing a tan base color underneath, showcasing the reducing technique. The base of the chamber depicts two rows of full-body profiles of monkeys in a geometric pattern all facing left in the same pose. There is much wear on the base of the object, but the geometric pattern remains visible as they are indented into the object. Above, in between, and below the rows of monkeys have two lines incised in between, most likely to accentuate its symmetry.

Creator

Chimu

Date

Late Intermediate Period (1000-1438 CE)-Late Horizon (1438-1532 CE)

Coverage

Peru--North Coast

Type

Three dimensional object
Ceramic

Format

25 (h) x 78 (w) cm.
10 (h) x 31 (w) in.

Identifier

1608-74

Relation

Jack Danciger Collection

Source

Art and Art History Collection (AAHC), College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin

Rights

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.