Nazca pottery is characterized by rich painting, often executed in as many as ten colors; beautiful polish; and images of humanized mythical beings. Two “smiling deities,”—humanized mythical beings that often have whiskers or feathers stemming from their faces and a feline, or other animal, atop their heads—curl around the side of this bowl. Each is associated with trophy heads and short atlatl spears—a way of honoring and remembering warfare. What distinguishes this bowl is the number of atlatl-spear points and stylized trophy heads.

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian
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The National Museum of the American Indian  |  George Gustav Heye Center  |  New York, NY

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