Bottle with a Mythical Masked Spotted Cat
Date100-500 CE
Mediumceramic
Dimensions23.5 x 19.1 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/2 in.)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Mr. Barney Burstein in memory of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Burstein
Object number1966.115
DescriptionDouble spouted-stirrup vessel. Baked clay with painted glaze.Label TextMany Nasca ceramics depict a masked spotted cat, a mythical form of the pampas cat (a small wildcat native to South America). In this supernatural version, it has a leaf-shaped tongue, which likely references the feline’s role in protecting plants and agriculture. The spotted cat wears a golden mask that covers its nose and mouth. Archaeologists have recovered similar masks made of sheet metal from Nasca funerary bundles. The ornaments have whiskers evoking the wildcat, which sometimes end with snake heads. Use of such masks may have been thought to transform their human wearers into supernatural felines. ProvenanceMr. Barney Burstein, Boston, MA
On View
Not on view
1000–1450 CE
