A Life in Ruins: Douglas Dawson, 35 Years of Art and Antiques 
13 July 2017
, Beer Vessel (Chomo) - Image 1 of 2
, Beer Vessel (Chomo) - Image 2 of 2
A Life in Ruins: Douglas Dawson, 35 Years of Art and Antiques 
, Beer Vessel (Chomo) - Image 1 of 2
, Beer Vessel (Chomo) - Image 2 of 2
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Beer Vessel (Chomo)

Shipibo-Conibo, Peru, Mid-20th Century
slip-decorated earthenware 24 h × 24 dia in (61 × 61 cm)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
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This vessel was used for Masato, a fermented beverage made from the yucca root.

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The Shipibo Indians live in the remote Amazonian rain forest of eastern Peru. These enormous vessels must be considered the most accomplished of all contemporary aboriginal ceramics of this hemisphere. They were made for the brewing of a weak beer that was drunk in communal ceremonies. They were not made on a potter’s wheel but rather hand-built, decorated and fired by Shipibo women. The complex patterns are very similar to ancient ceramics produced around 300 AD on an island at the mouth of the Amazon – thousands of miles away.

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