boat-shaped, spouted vessel with a human face, unrecorded Chimú artist

Artwork Overview

active 900–1470
boat-shaped, spouted vessel with a human face, 1100–1475
Where object was made: Peru
Material/technique: blackware; molding; incising
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 16 x 15 x 7 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 6 5/16 x 5 7/8 x 2 3/4 in
Credit line: Gift of James Frink and Mimi Kaplysh in memory of Margaret Frink
Accession number: 2011.0093
On display: Long Ellis Gallery

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Images

Label texts

Soundings: Making Culture at Sea

Indigenous cultures from the Arctic to South America and beyond have long had intimate relations with their companion ocean waters. Such diverse cultures have distinct ways of navigating the ocean and describing its role in their daily life and culture. Small model boats and other crafted items representing the sea served as teaching tools and talismans. Some were also designed to sell to foreigners as a way to support the maker and their community.

Exhibitions

Celka Straughn, curator
Emily C. Casey, curator
2025