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Chavin Culture Northern Peru STIRRUP-SPOUT VESSEL, ca. 1220 - 1000 B.C. Terra-cotta Height 9 1/2 inches Museum purchase, 1973.23
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The Chavin united the ancient world of pre-Columbian Peru for the first time
more than 3,000 years ago. Blending cultures on the coast and highlands, the
Chavin shared a single religion, technology, and culture. Elements of local
pottery styles were incorporated into this very distinctive art form, which
excelled in the production of ceramics. The ceramics tradition was present in
Peru as early as 1800 B.C. and to the north in Ecuador as early as 3500 - 3000
B.C.
The culture's name is derived from the archaeological site, Chavin de Huantar,
in the north central highlands of Peru. Describing the site in 1616, Spaniard
Vasquez de Espinosa wrote it was "an ancient oracle and pilgrimage center to
which people journeyed from all parts of Peru." Even today, the massive city is
an awesome sight to behold.
This vessel represents one variant of the Chavin style known as
Cupisnique, named for the small valley located between the Chicama and
Jequetepeque valleys. Characterized by a thick tubular spout defining a small
arch and with large flaring lips atop the squat opening, the surface decorations
are continued onto the arch of the spout. The skillful use of texture, in this
case a highly abstracted organic motif, enhances the three-dimensional qualities
of the decoration. The characteristic black ceramic surface is a result of
smudge firing rather than oxidation firing.
The reasons for the distinctive stirrup-handle spout form, which originated with
the Chavin, are unknown. It has been presumed to have had symbolic meaning for
the ancient Peruvians. This form was used by numerous later cultures in Peru
including the Moche, Lambayeque, and Chimú.
Alexander Lee Nyerges
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Donnan, Christopher B. Ceramics of Ancient Peru. Los Angeles: Fowler
Museum of Natural Cultural History, UCLA, 1992.
Mosley, Michael. The Incas and their Ancestors: The Archaeology of Peru.
London:Thames and Hudson, 1992.
