Ancient polychrome ceramic drinking vessel with modeled human head depiction. Lake Titicaca Basin. a.d. 800 - 1100. This red-ware vessel is decorated with molded a human face and has a hollow drinking spout handle. The face is made up of raised eye and nose features embellished with orange and black paint. The painted mouth feature shows face-paint markings on either side. Included here for reference are images of a couple of related examples from the Museum Fur Volkerkunde Berlin. It is difficult to find other published examples of ceramics of this type as they are quite rare in the archaeological record or in private or museum collections. This is a very nice example with more elaborate surface decoration than most. This group of Altiplano region ceramics always display a design style that is more freely drawn and primitive as compared to the more rigid geometric rendering of designs found in types closer in proximity to the predominant cultural center of the Tiwanaku. Attributable to the Mollo culture or another culturally related ethnic group, these are sometimes referred to as expansive Tiwanaku. Size: 7.5 x 5.5 inches.