Vessel with Two Fishermen in a Reed Boat
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Object Label
On the North Coast of Peru, ancient Chimú fishermen plied the waters of the Pacific Ocean in reed boats to catch fish and shellfish, and hunt marine animals. On this finely modeled and highly polished blackware vessel, two fishermen are depicted wearing conical hats and holding oars. Contemporary fishermen in Peru still use this same type of boat, called a caballito de totora.
Caption
Chimú. Vessel with Two Fishermen in a Reed Boat, 1100–1470. Ceramic, 9 3/4 x 11 x 7 in. (24.8 x 27.9 x 17.8 cm) mount (display dimensions): 10 1/4 x 12 x 7 in. (26 x 30.5 x 17.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Eugene Schaefer, 36.308. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 36.308_acetate_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Vessel with Two Fishermen in a Reed Boat
Date
1100–1470
Period
Pre-Spanish
Geography
Place made: North Coast, Peru
Medium
Ceramic
Classification
Dimensions
9 3/4 x 11 x 7 in. (24.8 x 27.9 x 17.8 cm) mount (display dimensions): 10 1/4 x 12 x 7 in. (26 x 30.5 x 17.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Eugene Schaefer
Accession Number
36.308
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more about these guys!
You're looking at a Chimú jar from about 1100-1400 . For the Chimú of Peru's north coast, the ocean provided both food and status objects such as precious shells. On this vessel, two men sit in a traditional type of boat that is still used today by modern Peruvian fisherman.Chimú ceramics are generally mold-made blackwares. Painted designs on Chimú ceramics are rare.I think the coil-building technique is quite impressive!
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