A picture of the ancient sculpture “The Woman of Willendorf” currently in the Natural History Museum of Vienna.

The Woman of Willendorf | Currently housed in @nhmwien.bsky.social , it’s made of oolitic limestone ~33,000 years ago. Its meaning is unknown but theories range from religious symbolism to female self-portraits.
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Hashtags: #prehistoric #ancientarts #paleolithic #prehistory #sculpture

Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological and cultural site in the Andean highlands of Peru. Once thought to be the birthplace of an ancient “mother culture,” the modern understanding is more nuanced. The cultural expressions found at Chavín most likely did not originate in that place, but can be seen as coming into their full force there. The visual legacy of Chavín would persist long after the site’s decline in approximately 200 B.C.E., with motifs and stylistic elements traveling to the southern highlands and to the coast. The location of Chavín seems to have helped make it a special place—the temple built there became an important pilgrimage site that drew people and their offerings from far and wide. At 10,330 feet (3150 meters) in elevation, it sits between the eastern (Cordillera Negra—snowless) and western (Cordillera Blanca—snowy) ranges of the Andes, near two of the few mountain passes that allow passage between the desert coast to the west and the Amazon jungle to the east. It is also located near the confluence of the Huachesca and Mosna Rivers, a natural phenomenon of two joining into one that may have been seen as a spiritually powerful phenomenon. Over the course of 700 years, the site drew many worshipers to its temple who helped in spreading the artistic style of Chavín throughout highland and coastal Peru by transporting ceramics, textiles, and other portable objects back to their homes.

Stone head
Chavin culture
Chavin de Huantar temple
Peru
900 BC - 200 BC

#chavinculture #peru #chavindehuantar #andeanculture #andes #ancientamerica #ancientarts #stonehead #temple #carved #stone #zoomorphic #figure

The Paracas culture was an Andean society existing between approximately 800 BCE and 100 BCE, with an extensive knowledge of irrigation and water management and that made significant contributions in the textile arts. It was located in what today is the Ica Region of Peru. Most information about the lives of the Paracas people comes from excavations at the large seaside Paracas site on the Paracas Peninsula, first formally investigated in the 1920s by Peruvian archaeologist Julio Tello. The Paracas Cavernas are shaft tombs set into the top of Cerro Colorado, each containing multiple burials. There is evidence that over the centuries when the culture thrived, these tombs were reused. In some cases, the heads of the deceased were taken out, apparently for rituals, and later reburied. The associated ceramics include incised polychrome, "negative" resist decoration, and other wares of the Paracas tradition. The associated textiles include many complex weave structures, as well as elaborate plaiting and knotting techniques.

Vessel
incised polychrome pottery
800-200 BCE
Paracas culture
Peru

#handmade #incised #polychrome #pottery #vessel #paracasculture #andes #andean #peru #ancientarts #ancientamerica
#precolumbian #prehispanic #paracascavernas #warikayan

A "qiru" (also spelled kero, quero, or qero) is an ancient Andean cup, often used to drink alcoholic beverages like chicha, and was traditionally used in feasts. They were typically made from wood, ceramics, silver, or gold. Qirus often featured intricate decorations, sometimes with geometric designs or even scenes depicting Inca life, though these latter depictions are more likely from colonial periods. Qirus were decorated by first cutting a shallow pattern on the surface of the cup, then filling the pattern with a durable, waterproof mixture of plant resin and pigment such as cinnabar. The finely incised lines would meet at intersection points that collaborated to create shapes such as triangles, squares, and diamonds. The shapes are organized in two to four horizontal registers. One is generally decorated with lavish, hand-painted, geometric designs that follow the traditional techniques in Písac ceramics. Others, however, may be painted with narrative scenes that show the life of the Inca. Those Qirus which show the life of the Inca were produced in colonial times and are not authentic Incan Qirus. Many times they are solitary, other times they are found together with other types of Peruvian pottery. Qiru production reached its peak between 1000 and 1200 CE but continued after European contact. Qirus are most commonly found in Moquegua, Peru. The Museo Contisuyo in Moquegua has qirus on display. During Inca times, the vessels were typically made in identical pairs. This followed the custom that two individuals were required to drink together and both qirus in the pair would have identical size, shape, and decoration. These pairs were typically used for toasts in ceremonies and were also given along with textiles as gifts as a sign of Inca generosity.

Andean jaguar cup (Qiru)
Peru, 17th-18th century
Wood, pigmented resin, iron, silver

#handmade #peru #qiru #cup #andes #wood #pigment #iron #silver #chicha #feasts #celebration #alcohol #Inca #incancraft #ancientarts #art

Detail of the Chama style of pottery decoration from the Maya culture of Northern Guatemala circa 500 CE - a bat-butterfly hybrid deity with wings spread.
#chama #maya #precolumbian #pottery #ancientarts #art #mayanart