Intersections

Artistry in Clay

The potters of ancient Peru created works of extraordinary beauty and technical virtuosity. Little is known about how such elaborately formed ceramics functioned in ancient Peruvian life. Some may have been reserved for religious and ceremonial use associated with burials. In most instances, however, they probably served a variety of household functions. Their rich and varied iconography helps us understand something of their world and suggests the importance of the surrounding flora and fauna, as well as the secular and supernatural realms in which the vessels may have functioned.

North and south coast styles differ in form and surface qualities. In southern Peru the emphasis was on polychrome surface decoration, vessels with round bottoms, and the double spout and bridge shape. Mixtures of clay, mineral pigments, and water were used to produce the various slips that so masterfully colored the surfaces of south coast vessels. In northern Peru, the emphasis was on three-dimensional sculpture, ceramic vessels with flat bottoms, and the stirrup spout bottle form. Certain features typical of north coast ceramic traditions emerged as early as 1800 b.c.e. and continued for millennia.