Piyulaga village, Mato Grosso, Brazil, South America
Accession Date:
20 Mar 2018
Collection Date:
1981 to 1983
Notes:
Ceramic pot in the shape of an animal. Unlike the others the caiman is on its front. The pot is ovoid, with head, tail and four paws at the proper ends. The pot has been polished, then slipped red on the exterior and painted black on the top and interior. The exterior has been over-painted with black paint and etched on the tail, though the head is not painted at all. The black interior is also over-painted with brown spots.
Notes by the collector, Emilienne Ireland: Low-fired clay; red slip exterior painted with geometric signs; interior painted with a mixture of juice of a vine, soot, and water, then ornamented with a stippled design probably representing the appearance of the caiman's hide. "Caiman container" (yákakána) ESPECIALLY FINE SPECIMEN. Head is very well modeled. Note the fish painted swimming toward the caiman's mouth. Note also that the pot is designed so that the caiman is depicted belly-down, with with limbs raised and spread out to the side, as if floating, which is exactly what caimans do. Painted with designs inside and out.
