Vessel

Face Vessel (?). Splendid; in almost pure Tiahuanaco style

Cup or 'qero' with an effigy-anthropomorphic body, no neck/collar, outward sloping rim, no handles, and a flat base. No molded/modeled additions. The vessel is shaped like a double sided face with protruding nose, cheeks, and three hemispherical bumps along each side. The vessel is slipped and painted in orange, brown, red, gray, cream, and white. The facial features are painted on in Tihuanaco style. There appears to be a burnished finish on the exterior and a smoothed finish on the interior. The vessel was likely fired in an oxidizing atmosphere as the ceramic paste is orange in color. The catalogue number is written on the object in black ink on the bottom of the base. Black ink on the bottom of the base reads: "3197."