Textile patterns are among the representational and abstract themes that Nasca polychrome ceramics exhibit. This vase shows a series of vertical stripes painted in red, orange, gray/green, and yellow that alternate with cream colored stripes. The stripes are united at the base exterior by a single horizontal red stripe. The interior is unslipped, save for a black stripe on the rim. The painting arrangement mimics the design and colors of Nasca textiles and attire (see Rickenbach 1999: cat. 136 for an example of the attire worn by a chief, as depicted on a polychrome bottle). The lightweight vase is burnished to a shiny patina. A variation of this theme on ceramic bowls is shown in Kroeber and Collier (1998: plate 31, fig. 374) and in Bennett (1954: fig. 63). - Lisa DeLeonardis, June 2016