Beaker of red earthenware, painted, Peru, Nasca culture, 100 BC to 700 AD.

Beaker of red earthenware painted in polychrome slips of buff, red, and brown. Inverted bell shape with a rounded base. Painted with a wide border of stylised spiky creatures with eyes processing around the top, alternately painted in red and dark brown outlined with black lines on a buff ground. Below two plain bands round the centre fall a row of spikey cactus-like pendants.

Given by The Dowager Lady Steel-Maitland

According to a letter in the RF, dated 7/9/41 "Brought back by the late Rt.Hon. Sir Arthur Steel Maitland from La Paz in 1921" (Bolivia)

Historical significance: The development of the Nasca style over seven centuries has been divided into different periods. Decoration became more elaborate, more graphic and less naturalistic after the early period. The curious pattern here of alternating red and brown mythical creatures with either a single or a pair of eyes round the top half of this cup relate to common Nasca motifs of radiating elements and proliferations around a single eye, or around the face of a mythical being. On the bottom half, the stylised cactus pendant decoration may refer to the hallucinogenic drink made from the San Pedro cactus, perhaps suggesting a liquid it would have contained.

The Nasca people lived in Southern Peru in the desert valleys leading to the coast, and pottery produced by the Nasca Culture from ca.100 BC to 600 AD is some of the most accomplished of ancient Peru. Vessels were formed by coiling, drawing and shaping by direct modelling rather than the use of moulds. When the clay was nearly dry the surface was carefully burnished with a smooth stone or similar tool before firing to produce a smooth and shiny surface. Nasca decoration is characterised by skilled polychrome slip painting. Blocks of coloured slips were painted using brushes made from Llama or Alpaca fur and then the distinctive black outlines of the image were added on top.

South coast of Peru, Nasca culture

C.20-1941