Pre-Columbian bowl, possibly from Peru.

Pre-Columbian bowl, possibly from Peru.
Polychrome terracotta.
It has marks due to age, missing polychromy and chipping.
Measurements: 22 x 42 x 42 cm.
Pre-Columbian terracotta bowl, decorated with eight faces worked in relief around the belly. The physiognomic features (protruding noses, large earrings and the shape of the oval) correspond to those of the pottery of the Moche culture, although it could also come from another aboriginal people of the Peruvian coast. The Moche artisans produced masterpieces in ceramics, weaving and gold and silver work. Their characteristic style encompasses the most diverse materials, such as pyro-engraved gourds, mural painting, feather art, and body painting and tattooing. The pottery decoration demonstrates a mastery of pottery making rarely surpassed, using the techniques of incising, bas-relief stamping and painting on smooth surfaces. A significant proportion of these objects were made in specialised workshops controlled by the state, in which mass-produced pieces were made using moulds. These vessels not only display a wide variety of shapes and decorative styles, but also bear depictions of myths and rituals. Among the ceramic forms that stand out are the so-called "portrait bottles" or vessels in which the face of an important figure in society is portrayed.