A Pre-Columbian Chimu blackware vessel with anthropomorphic bird details, such as the beak, which serves as the handle.
Peru.
Ca. 900 - 1350 AD.
Height: 8 in. (20.3 cm).
The Chimu culture succeeded Moche culture on the north coast of Peru. Their capital was the city of Chan Chan. They had a highly developed pottery and metalwork industry. They were conquered by the Inca shortly before the Spanish arrival.
Formerly in a New York private collection, acquired in the 1960's.