Sicán Ceramic Vessel

OBJECT OF THE WEEK: Sicán Ceramic Vessel 1300-1400 AD.

This unique Sicán, or Lambayeque, pot is on display in our latest exhibition ‘The Lost City of Z: Secrets of the Fawcett Archive’.

Native to the North East of Peru the Sican Civilisation used these vessels for a variety of functions including storage and cooking.

They were also architectural ornaments and decorative sculptures in their own right. This example depicts a high status individual seated upon a throne.

Local explorer and adventurer Percy Harrison Fawcett would have been very familiar with this kind of cultural artefact.

His interest in known South American Civilisations fuelled his search for a Lost City in the Amazon.

Learn more about his quest for the enigmatic City of Z at Torquay Museum.