Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

Chile before Chile


From one colour to many colours

The El Bato and the Llolleo were the first groups to make ceramics in the Central Zone. Their finely polished monochromatic pots and pitchers were decorated with modelling and incisions. These stylistic features are also found on contemporary vessels in southern and northern Chile. Around A.D. 1000, Aconcagua ceramicists broke with this ancient tradition by introducing a new style that included bowls painted with designs in two or more colours.