Images

Battle scenes, warriors and trophy heads appear on later Nazca pottery. However, decapitation scenes are rare. This tall sculpted vase shows a man in the processes of decapitating a male warrior. The changes in iconography suggest that Nazca...

Double-spouted vessel with a spotted cat. Mythical creatures are frequently depicted on Nazca vessels. Combinations of multiple elements result in a wide range of forms. The spotted cat figure represents the pampas cat, native to the south...

Bold designs on early Nazca vessels were naturalistic and representational, featuring motifs from land, sea, and air. Plants and animals are abundantly illustrated, most often on bottles and bowls. Figures are painted with simple outlines...

Mythical beings are depicted on this bowl, a typical "late" Nazca vessel with a proliferous design. The subject is depicted in profile and there is a use of complex and repeated motifs. This artistic development preceded the decline of a...

Bold designs on early Nazca vessels naturalistic and representational, featuring motifs from land, sea, and air. Plants and animals are abundantly illustrated, most often on bottles and bowls. Figures are painted with simple outlines containing...

Bold designs on early Nazca vessels were naturalistic and representational, featuring motifs from land, sea, and air. Plants and animals were abundantly illustrated, most often on bottles and bowls. Figures are painted with simple outlines...

A scene from the 16th century CE Florentine Codex depicting Aztec musicians. Music and dance were an important element of Aztec education and public life.

A painting on gesso on limestone of the Egyptian noble known as Lady Tjepu. New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII, c. 1390-1352 BCE. From the tomb of her son Nebamun, Thebes. (Brooklyn Museum, New York)

A Wari tapestry panel, 600-1000 CE. The design shows alternating natural and supernatural heads. The human heads wear a typical Wari tassled hat while the supernatural heads have a black headdress and they are sticking their tongues out...

A Maya vessel decorated with warrior figures. They are wearing animal headdresses and have trophy heads hanging from their belts. From Mexico or Guatemala, c. 600-800 CE. (Brooklyn Museum, New York)