Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

Faces of times past

A frequent feature of early ceramics in the Central Zone is human facial modelling. Many pieces produced during this stage display features such as eyebrows and prominent noses in a T-shape, or protruding “coffee bean” eyes and lips. These faces may depict local ethnic groups or be self-portraits. They may convey an ideal of beauty, or have simply sprung from the creator’s imagination.

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Fragment of an anthropomorphic pitcher. Llolleo. MCHAP, 1600