On view
Art of the Ancient Americas
Spherical container in the shape of a feline head,
800–400 BCE
Tembladera
Early Horizon
2001-271
In the Andes the last millennium BCE witnessed an explosive increase in art production and a consistent set of visual motifs across a variety of media. Fierce, fanged creatures, blending the qualities of humans and predatory animals, appear in abundance, brandishing long claws. Because the style was traditionally associated with the ritual center of Chavín de Huantar, objects encountered across Peru that share these visual qualities have been described as Chavín style. Artists across Peru, however, adapted the Chavín style to their own contexts and needs.
Information
Title
Spherical container in the shape of a feline head
Dates
800–400 BCE
Medium
Ceramic and pigment
Dimensions
5.3 × 5.5 × 6 cm (2 1/16 × 2 3/16 × 2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund
Object Number
2001-271
Place Made
South America, Peru, North highlands, Mid to lower Jequetepeque Valley or adjacent valleys
Period
Type
December 4, 2001, The Merrin Gallery, New York, sold to the Princeton University Art Museum
