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exhibitions > recent: Of Land, Sea, and Sky
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Figural vessel with Monkey holding
pods Blackware spouted vessel with the figure of a monkey, grasping two pods, which he extends toward the viewer in his outstretched paws. The monkey is rendered with open mouth, large wide eyes, and protruding ears. The Chimu Empire (900-1400 AD) occupied seven hundred square miles on the north coast of Peru. Chimu pottery was mostly mass produced mold made blackware. Reduction firing produced the black surface so common in Chimu ceramics. The most interesting Chimu pots exhibit Moche influence in their tall, elegant spouts. The typical spouted Chimu vessel was decorated with a monkey placed at the juncture of the spout and arch; however, they were usually much smaller than the representation on this vessel. A common type of Chimu blackware vessel is that with a modelled narrative theme, such as this piece. Scientific classification: "Platyrrhine" (species, New World Monkey); types include: capuchin, spider, durukuli, uakari, saki, howler, or squirrel monkey. |
