Lambayeque Blackware Double Spouted Vessel

Pre-Columbian Era, Lambayeque (Sicán) Culture, Late Intermediate Period, c. 750–1375 AD, Peru

An absolutely fascinating and elegant Lambayeque (Sicán) blackware pottery vessel, mold-made with a rounded, tapering body set upon a flat base. Rising from the shoulders, two tall, slender spouts are joined by an arched bridge handle, dramatically surmounted by an imposing human head—possibly representing Naylamp, the legendary founder of the Sicán dynasty. The visage is sculpted with striking detail: raised almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, thin lips, pointed chin, and realistic ears, all crowned by an elaborate projecting headdress.

The shoulders of the vessel are further embellished with finely molded relief panels depicting fantastical avian creatures. These mythological beings, with long beaks, short wings, four legs, and trailing tail feathers, embody the Lambayeque tradition of merging natural and supernatural imagery to reflect religious beliefs, ancestral worship, and cosmological symbolism.

Sicán blackware is renowned for its lustrous, highly burnished surfaces and complex iconography, both of which are exemplified in this vessel. Double-spouted forms such as this were often associated with ritual use, libations, or funerary offerings, symbolizing the bridge between the earthly and divine realms.

A striking example of Lambayeque artistry, this vessel not only demonstrates the technical mastery of Pre-Columbian ceramicists but also provides a direct link to the myth, ritual, and elite culture of ancient northern Peru.

Excellent condition. Repaired spout, otherwise intact. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, with fading to some finer features, and light encrustations within recessed areas. Size approx. 16,0cm x 16,6cm x 12,8cm. 

Provenance: From the collection of Karl-Johan Biörnstad (b. 1912), who worked in Lima during the 1970s as a United Nations expert. Acquired in Peru in the 1970s from Beatrice (b. 1918) and Leo (b. 1912) Drimmer, an American couple who had formed their collection in Peru during the 1960s. Brought to Sweden by Karl-Johan in the 1970s.

For a similar example see:

Blackware double-spout and bridge bottle, Cornell Anthropology Collections - Cornell University Library,  Accession Number: 986.1.102 (https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/ss:2620297)