Chupicuaro Ceramic Vessel

Bowl, c. 300 B.C.-250 A.D.
Chupicuaro culture; Guanajuato, Mexico
Ceramic and natural pigment; 8 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 32 1/2 in.
F81.18.2
Bowers Museum Foundation Acquisition Fund Purchase
Unusual for its size (26cm diameter and 21cm in height) this Chupícuaro bowl is one of the Bowers Museum’s most elegant and treasured in our collection of Pre-Columbian objects. The ceramic style is named after the village of Chupícuaro in the western Mexican state of Guanajuato where it was found. Situated on the Lerma River the culture was active from about 300 BC to AD 250, during the same time Teotihuacán flourished. Luckily excavations of the site were conducted in 1946-7 revealing much of what we know today. In 1949 the Solís Dam was constructed. This led to the flooding of the area which today remains under a lake formed by this act. Chupícuaro ceramics were formed without the use of a potting wheel. The mastery of this hand-building skill is seen in the symmetry and form of the vessel. Many whole examples of this style of pottery remain intact due to the thickness of the vessel walls, usually around 12mm or 1/2 “ as is the case with this bowl. This bowl is hand painted with the colors red, black and white that were taken from natural elements. The textile-like geometric designs are typical of Chupícuaro pottery and are also found painted onto human figurines that were also abundantly made. The significance of the designs is unknown. Additional features of this bowl that add to its elegance are the slightly convex base that allows the bowl the ability to gently rock; the shallow indentation below the lip of the vessel that accentuates the rounded rim without breaking the unity of the vessel’s overall form; and square-like tabs found at four equidistant points that intersect the shallow indentation giving the appearance that the top lip is latched in place. These features show that the artist who created this vessel was masterful in technique and possessed the artistic taste that gives this bowl its overall finesse.  All text and images under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use. Information subject to change with additional research.