Pre-Columbian and Western Art Collection
Pot Modelled Like an Animal
Nazca, Peru
300-650 C.E.
Clay
Size: 11.5x 17.7 cm.
Acc. No. 67.289
This elongated figure of a cat-like animal with eyes fixed on its prey is a novel of a serving pot- a kettle with a spout and a handle. The handle replacing the cat’s tail. The white-spotted deep brown cat, with its legs, gathered completely under its fur, upwards turned face, ears raised as to when extra vigilant and closed mouth as when fixed at the target, is poised fully to charge at its prey the moment it detected its slightest movement.
As almost all early culture reveal, conceiving articles of day-to-day use, especially pottery, in personalized s or the s of familiar animals, domestic or others, was a common practice of potters all over, and this spouted pot is one of its examples. This pot with handle and spout in the of a cat evidences a certain extent of evolution in the art of clay modelling which blended an art ; any naturalistic of an animal and human being with a utility article. The artefact is painted reddish-brown with patches of off-white, baked with high-temperature firing and beautifully finished and polished.
