Bowl with Hummingbirds100 BCE–300 CE

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Title: Bowl with Hummingbirds
Culture: Nasca
Place Made: Peru
Date Made: 100 BCE–300 CE
Period: Early Period
Medium: Ceramic, hand built, slip decorated, burnished and fired
Dimensions: 2 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (6.35 x 10.8 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck
Accession Number: M.73.48.56
Classification: Ceramics
Collecting Area: Art of the Ancient Americas
Curatorial Notes: The four birds painted onto this small bowl can be identified as hummingbirds by their long pointed beaks and small trailing feet. Hummingbirds were a common subject for early Nasca painters (see also M.73.48.40 and .42), often depicted alongside flowers, and were associated with the start of the harvest season. The precision of the black lines, the evenly burnished and colored red interior, and the symmetrical shape are testimony to the skill of the artist or artists involved in making this piece.

2025

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Title: Bowl with Hummingbirds
Culture: Nasca
Place Made: Peru
Date Made: 100 BCE–300 CE
Period: Early Period
Medium: Ceramic, hand built, slip decorated, burnished and fired
Dimensions: 2 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (6.35 x 10.8 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck
Accession Number: M.73.48.56
Classification: Ceramics
Collecting Area: Art of the Ancient Americas
Curatorial Notes: The four birds painted onto this small bowl can be identified as hummingbirds by their long pointed beaks and small trailing feet. Hummingbirds were a common subject for early Nasca painters (see also M.73.48.40 and .42), often depicted alongside flowers, and were associated with the start of the harvest season. The precision of the black lines, the evenly burnished and colored red interior, and the symmetrical shape are testimony to the skill of the artist or artists involved in making this piece.

2025