Pre-Columbian Chimú blackware aryballos with pelicans and monkey, Peru, Transitional Chimú-Inca Culture, ca. 1100–1470 CE. Finely modeled pottery vessel of globular aryballos form with a tall flaring neck and opposed loop handles, displaying stylistic characteristics associated with the late Chimú period and the transitional era following Inca influence along Peru’s north coast. The body is decorated in high relief with two stylized pelicans shown in profile, their elongated beaks extending downward over textured panels filled with dense stippled decoration. Additional modeled avian imagery appears along the shoulder and neck, while a sculpted monkey clings to the upper vessel near the rim, adding an unusual and animated sculptural element to the composition.

The vessel is executed in characteristic Chimú blackware, achieved through a controlled reduction firing process that produced the deep black and graphite-toned surface highly associated with Chimú ceramics. The combination of sculptural modeling, textured surface treatment, and refined symmetry demonstrates the exceptional craftsmanship of late north coast Peruvian pottery traditions during the transitional Chimú-Inca horizon.

Aryballos vessels of this type were likely used for the storage and pouring of liquids, although many surviving examples were also deposited as funerary offerings within elite burials. Pelicans held symbolic importance along the Peruvian coast due to their association with the ocean, fishing, and abundance, themes central to Chimú society and economy. The addition of the monkey introduces a lively sculptural element and reflects the broader use of animal symbolism frequently encountered in Chimú ceramic art.

The vessel possesses an elegant balance between utility and sculptural artistry, with the dark burnished surface enhancing the dramatic relief decoration. A particularly choice example displaying excellent form, rich coloration, and unusually dynamic iconography. Choice condition.

Height: 6 5/8”.

Provenance: Ex Alberto Martinez Collection, Vallejo, California; Ex Howard Nowes Collection, New York; Ex Private Hudson, New York collection.