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Jar with Anthropomorphic Figure
ceramic with resinous postfire paint
650–150 BCE
Paracas
Ocucaje area, Ica Valley, south coast, Peru

#handmade #art #culture #religion #paracas #peru #flyingfigure #afterlife #spiritual #fertility #agriculture #ancientart #ancientpottery #precolumubian #prehispanic
The figure depicted on the Paracas pottery bowl is typically interpreted as a supernatural or anthropomorphic "flying figure". These figures are common motifs in Paracas art and are believed to represent beings from an otherworldly or supernatural realm. The figure combines human-like traits with other features, such as claws and a three-point mouth. The way the figures are oriented on the bowl suggests they are flying or moving through a different realm, possibly related to the mountains which were considered a supernatural area. Similar figures in Paracas and the related Nasca culture often appear alongside other mythical beings and sometimes incorporate elements like "trophy heads," suggesting a connection to ritual and agricultural abundance beliefs. Paracas art, in general, reflects the culture's deep investment in the afterlife and their dependence on the natural world and agricultural cycles, with these figures likely playing a role in their cosmology and rituals.
April 10, 2026 at 4:44 PM