Bowl: Spotted Felines

Paracas ceramics and textiles take their name from the Paracas Peninsula, where Julio C. Tello and Toribio Mejía conducted digs in the 1920s. The objects they then found in graves made this style known internationally. The recognition kindled the interest of the art market and, unfortunately, encouraged looting at a time when regulations governing the export of archaeological objects were still very lax, if not practically inexistent. That explains the absence of exact provenance for works in the Museum’s collection. The felines on this bowl were executed using a resin-based paint applied after firing. They may be depictions of pampas cats, whose natural and mythical forms can later be found on Nasca ceramics.