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Container Depicting Warriors, Rulers, and Winged Beings with Trophy Heads

A work made of ceramic and pigment.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of ceramic and pigment.

Date:

180 BCE–500 CE

Artist:

Nazca
South coast, Peru

About this artwork

This monumental ceramic ceremonial drum or a storage container—its long crack was repaired in antiquity—displays scenes depicting military triumph. On the upper tier, composite supernatural creatures combine forms derived from predatory birds, felines, and fish, thereby manifesting the powers of the sky, earth, and sea. These otherworldly beings feast on human captives and trophy heads, emphasizing that the natural world is not only nurturing, but also dangerous. Nazca warriors also hold weapons and trophy heads, and wear similar masks and headdresses to those worn by the composite figures, signifying that the ultimate source of their military prowess is derived from the supernatural realm. A group of elaborately attired individuals witness the sacrifices of the prisoners captured in battle. Military expeditions and ceremonies were timed to the seasonal rhythms of the environment in order to stimulate the powers of the natural world upon which human societies depended.
— Permanent collection descriptive text

Status

On View, Gallery 136

Department

Arts of the Americas

Culture

Nasca

Title

Container Depicting Warriors, Rulers, and Winged Beings with Trophy Heads

Place

Peru (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

180 BCE–500 CE

Medium

Ceramic and pigment

Dimensions

127 × 114.3 × 114.3 cm (50 × 45 × 45 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Edward and Betty Harris

Reference Number

2004.1154

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/183073/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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