Reed Boat Effigy Vessel

Dateca. 900-1375

MediumBlackware

Dimensions8 1/2 x 5 3/8 x 8 inches (21.6 x 13.7 x 20.3 cm)

CultureSican (Peru)

PeriodLate Intermediate Period

ClassificationsCeramics

Credit LineGift of Professor and Mrs. Thomas E. Davis

Terms

Perú
Ceramics
Blackware
Boats
Reeds
Sican

Object number99.130.002

Label CopyBRIEF DESCRIPTION The term “effigy” is generally used to describe a sculpture or vessel in the shape of a person or animal. This Sicán vessel is shaped like a boat, with a small figure of a man paddling the boat at one end. WHERE WAS IT MADE? This vessel is from the north coast of what is now Peru. HOW WAS IT MADE? The Sicán made many of their ceramics using two-part press molds, a technique that enabled potters to make multiple pots of uniform design. First an original form was made from clay. After creating the mold (also ceramic) from this original, clay would be pressed into each half, and then later joined together. A variety of decorative motifs were molded in surface relief. Finally, the vessels were highly burnished prior to being fired in an earthen pit. The black color of “blackware” is achieved in the firing process. While firing ceramics in a pit fire, the fire is smothered just enough to remove excess oxygen while still burning hot enough to fire the pottery. Unlike ceramics fired with plenty of oxygen, which may range in color from creamy buff to orange or red, ceramics fired in a “reducing” atmosphere will be gray or black in color. HOW WAS IT USED? The function of pre-Columbian ceramic vessels is not easy to ascertain. Were these vessels made for the dead, fancy grave goods with specific religious or mythical imagery, or were they treasured possessions used in life? Or both? Although most pottery made in the past was functional ware used to cook, store, or serve foods, more elaborate pieces also conveyed social information. It appears that pre-Columbian people may have had special pots for display in their homes or for use during special occasions. According to the earliest chroniclers after the Spanish conquest, people put pottery on display in their homes that reflected what they did to make a living; for example, fishermen displayed pots with sharks in their homes, while hunters displayed pots with deer and other land animals. Vessels like this one may have been used to carry and serve liquids, since the narrow-necked shape would have reduced losses from accidental spills and evaporation. Although water is vital in desert environments such as those found in many parts of the Andes, recent analyses of residues from Peruvian bottles and jars suggest that most of them were used to serve corn (maize) beer or chicha. Chicha was both an everyday beverage, made in households for family consumption, and an essential element in ritual and social interactions. ABOUT THE SICÁN CULTURE: The Sicán culture flourished in the Lambayeque Valley after the fall of the Wari and spread to control a large part of the Peruvian coast, including the valleys of La Leche, Saña, and Jequetepeque. Stylistic similarities between Sicán and the earlier Moche and the later Chimú ceramic traditions have caused a great deal of confusion in the classification of Sicán pottery in the past. Like Moche, Sicán ceramics may have a red-on-white color scheme; like Chimú, they are frequently made of blackware. Like Wari, Sicán pottery is characterized by double-spout-and-bridge vessels with tapered spouts. Pedestal bases are common, while stirrup-spout bottles are not. Rich burials attest to the tremendous level of artistic accomplishment achieved by Sicán goldsmiths. The Sicán culture was conquered by the Chimú around AD 1370.

Collections