Minneapolis Institute of Art

Vessel in the Form of a Fish

Nasca artist

Date

c. 100 BCE–600 CE

Medium

Clay, pigments

Culture

Nasca

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Nazca artists are known for their bold, colorful designs. Although they were acute observers of the world around them and depicted many plants and animals in their work, they seemed concerned less with naturalism than with capturing the spirit and liveliness of their subject matter. This fish is highly stylized, with scales suggested by brush strokes, and gills through sweeping lines. It is rounded and fat, attesting to flush times and an abundance of food. Fish were a key component of the Nazca diet and were often shown in their art. Nasca, Peru, Americas

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