Double-Chambered Strap Vessel with Sculpted Bird Head Possibly 1200 - 1450

Editor: Here we have an intriguing ceramic sculpture from the Chimú culture, a “Double-Chambered Strap Vessel with Sculpted Bird Head," dating roughly from 1200 to 1450. It strikes me as quite solemn and evocative of ancient rituals. What stories do you think this vessel holds? Curator: It whispers of time, doesn't it? The muted grey surface almost feels like solidified smoke. For me, the avian figure isn't just decorative; it’s a spiritual guide, a messenger between worlds. And the double chambers – perhaps for sacred liquids, offerings… How do you imagine it was used? Did it sing, gurgle, whisper secrets as it poured? Editor: I imagine it did! And what about the form itself? Two spheres joined like…connected thoughts? Is there a significance to that, do you think? Curator: Absolutely! That bridge – that "strap," as the name suggests – it's connection. Union. Two separate entities becoming one. Water flows from one to the other. What does the bird ‘see’ that the plain vessel does not, what spirit is transported with the liquid, what happens to us as we are given a vessel to pour our history into? These are vessels, after all, like we ourselves. Editor: I never thought of it that way. Now I see more than just a pot; I see a relationship, a story about something shared. Curator: Exactly! Art unlocks hidden chambers within ourselves, doesn’t it? Sometimes it pours life into us; other times it encourages us to fly to new worlds, no? Editor: It does indeed. Thanks for illuminating that for me. I'll never look at a ceramic vessel the same way again!