Viru Face-Neck Jar with Appliqued Features

Pre-Columbian, Peru, North Coast, Viru (Gallinazo). A pottery jar with a round, almost spherical body that rises to a tall, slightly flaring neck shaped into a human face. The features are minimal and modeled by hand: two raised, pierced disc eyes, a pinched nose, and a short appliqued mouth. Together they give the neck the look of a watchful little head sitting on a full, swelling torso. The surface is a warm brown-buff that shades to gray and violet where the firing clouded it. Faint reddish traces near the rim may be the remains of a painted band. Face-neck jars like this turn the whole vessel into a figure, so the container itself reads as a body. They were probably made for storing liquids and are often found in burials, though what this particular jar was used for is unknown. The Viru culture, also known in the literature as Gallinazo, developed in the Viru, Moche, and Santa valleys of Peru's north coast. It came before the Moche and overlapped with their early phase. Viru potters are best known for negative-resist decoration. Their wider repertoire also includes face-neck jars with simple appliqued features, an idea the Moche later took much further in their portrait vessels. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 205755

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