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Killer Whale vessel
painted ceramic
c. 100 BCE - 800 CE
Nazca culture
Peru

#handmade #art #ancientart #nazcaculture #peru #painted #ceramic #killerwhale #vessel #bottle #ritual #ceremonial #belief #religion #precolumbian #prehispanic #tribalart #larcomuseum #lima
This artifact is a Nazca culture vessel depicting a mythological "killer whale" or anthropomorphic sea creature. Originating from present-day Peru around 100 BCE – 800 CE, it was used in ceremonial contexts. The vessel often features stylized human heads within its design, representing the theme of headhunting in Nazca mythology. It is a notable piece housed in the Larco Museum in Lima.
June 4, 2026 at 7:14 PM
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Ear ornament
gold, turquoise, shell
c. 100-800 CE
Moche culture
Peru

#handmade #gold #turquoise #shell #inlay #lizards #iguanas #nobility #elite #moche #culture #fertility #abundance #connection #resilience #tough #ecosystem #precolumbianart #jewelry #earornament #larcomuseum #prehispanicjewelry
For the Moche people of northern Peru (c. 100–800 AD), lizards and iguanas symbolized fertility, abundance, and the connection between the coast and dry inland forests. Because they easily adapted to arid environments, these reptiles were revered as resilient survivors and frequently depicted in elite Moche jewelry. The lizard or iguana was a highly regarded motif among Moche nobility. This famous, brilliantly crafted gold and turquoise ear ornament—housed in the Museo Larco in Lima—features eight iguanas arranged in a radial pattern. Such items denoted elite political and religious power. Lizards were seen as crucial mediators bridging the coastal shores and the dry inland forests, which were both vital to the Moche ecosystem. Along with felines, owls, and snakes, reptiles like lizards were frequently sculpted or painted on Moche stirrup-spout bottles. These depictions typically emphasized the animal's natural agility and association with the earth's natural rhythms.
July 8, 2026 at 1:10 PM