Beaker in the Form of a Head with Bold Eye Markings c. 180 - 500

This is a ceramic beaker in the form of a head, made by an artist from the Nazca culture of ancient Peru. The beaker's painted decoration represents a human face with stylized features such as bold eye markings. The Nazca people flourished in the arid coastal region of Peru from around the first century AD to the eighth. Their society was highly stratified, and it's thought that beakers like this one were used in elite rituals to display social status. The face is believed to represent a human head or a human-animal hybrid and they are a powerful image from this time. Art historians examine archaeological evidence, iconography, and the wider social and political context to understand the role of such objects in ancient societies. This helps us better understand their rituals and beliefs, and gives us a sense of the social values that shaped ancient Nazca society.