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Choice Nazca Cylinder Vase with Trophy Heads browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques: Regional Art: Americas: South American: Pre AD 1000: item # 449524
Janus Antiquities By Appointment New Jersey (330) 612-3957 Guest Book $575 |
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Beginning in the Middle Paracas Period (ca. 400 B.C.), the Cavernas Trophy Head Cult developed in the Ica Valley of Peru. Increasing population growth had likely made agricultural fertility very salient to the ancient people of Peru, and this growth mirrored a radical change in artistic conventions that focused on fertility. Sacrifices to the gods as a means of assuring fertility had always been important, and the Cavernas cult apparently provided the ceremonial means of harnessing the life/spirit force for their people by means of collecting trophy heads from defeated enemies. As populations grew in the surrounding valleys, the new Nazca religion succeeded in unifying their inhabitants and the trophy head symbol as a source or container of life-force became integrated into Nazca motifs throughout their cultural horizon. Trophy heads continued to be incorporated into ceramic art forms in a variety of stylized ways until the Huari finally overwhelmed the Nazca around 700 AD.
The Nazca civilization of Peru was one of the most advanced of its day. They developed advanced farming methods that allowed them to build an irrigation system, improve their crops, and expand the area of land they could farm. Over the next 1,500 years, they also developed outstanding skills in weaving, pottery, and architecture. But, perhaps the most fascinating of their cultural achievements was the creation of remarkable ground art. The lines of Nazca are a variety of geometrical figures, trapezoids, triangles and lines, plus animal and bird figures of hummingbirds, a whale, a monkey, a spider (shown here), a bird likened to a pelican, another like a condor, and one called the astronaut. They range in size up to 1000 ft (300m) across and were originally thought to be the remains of irrigation lines beyond the verdant Nazca valley. It wasn't until they were seen from the air that the lines were recognizable as figures, but how and why the Nazca coordinated such efforts remains a mystery. AGE: 400-700 A.D. CONDITION: Intact and nice. Some pigment flaking around the bottom row of trophy heads, but otherwise excellent. DIMENSIONS: 7.5" tall |
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