Mother-and-Child? Vessel

1–700 CE

Central Andes, North Highlands, Recuay people

Medium

ceramic, slip, pigment

Measurements

Overall: 20.4 x 15.3 x 15.3 cm (8 1/16 x 6 x 6 in.)

Credit Line

Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2010.210

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Location

232 Andean

Did You Know?

Recuay ceramics typically use only three colors: black, white, and red.

Description

Well-dressed, important women like this one are depicted fairly often in Recuay art. These women hold a variety of things, ranging from cups that may refer to feasts held on important political occasions to small figures commonly interpreted as children, as here. These and other representations have led scholars to suggest that Recuay women held authority independent of their male partners; their authority may have stemmed in part from involvement in feasting celebrations.