Gourd-Shaped Blackware Jar with Modeled Monkey Handle Possibly 1000 - 1450

This blackware jar was made by the Lambayeque people, who inhabited the northern coast of Peru long before the Inca Empire. It is made of clay, likely coil-built and then carefully smoothed. What’s really remarkable about this jar is the way the clay has been fired. The black color tells us that it was fired in a low-oxygen environment, which is created by smothering the fire with organic material. This technique, often called reduction firing, pulls the oxygen out of the clay, turning it black. Note how the gourd-like vessel and the modeled monkey handle are united in their shared coloration. This monochrome finish shows great control of the kiln environment. The monkey is more than just a decoration; it speaks to the rich natural world, and to the technical skills that allowed the Lambayeque people to transform humble earth into an object of lasting beauty. Appreciating such an object asks us to look closely at the hands and knowledge that brought it into being.