Face Neck Jar
Arts of the Americas
Wari vessels such as this elaborately decorated jar were used to serve and drink chicha (a fermented corn beverage) during feasting celebrations. The main figure represented on the body of the jar is a male of high status, as indicated by the designs on his tunic and the condor and feline motifs on his face, both of which are associated with spiritual power. The ear of corn dangling from his headdress and another adorning the top of one of his staffs attest to the importance of that crop.
MEDIUM
Ceramic, slip, pigments
DATES
650–1000
PERIOD
Middle Horizon Period
DIMENSIONS
7 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (17.8 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
41.418
CREDIT LINE
Henry L. Batterman Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Face neck jar with polychrome decoration on red-brown slip. The vessel is bottle-shaped with a bulbous body and a tall, narrow neck. The neck is decorated with a modeled human face with a feline figure painted on the nose and two condors painted below the eyes representing tear lines. The body of the jar is decorated with a standing male figure wearing an elaborate tunic and holding a staff in each hand. One staff is surmounted by a bird head, while the other is surmounted by an ear of corn. The man's face, which is in profile, is decorated with painted geometrical designs and an ear of corn hangs from the front of his headdress.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Wari. Face Neck Jar, 650–1000. Ceramic, slip, pigments, 7 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (17.8 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Henry L. Batterman Fund, 41.418. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 41.418_front_PS6.jpg)
IMAGE
front, 41.418_front_PS6.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2012
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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