A Survey of Ancient Peruvian Art. 343 



Sub- type II Portraits. The faces of the portraits often have 

 features in common with Sub-type I and Sub- 

 ^ type III, (such as headdress, formal inci- 



dental decoration motifs, etc.). 



Sub-type III Partly conventionalized decorations. Even these, 

 however, are seldom rectilinear entirely. 

 Cream and red are the more usual colors. 



Sub-type IV Numerous miscellaneous types not yet decided 

 upon. 



Having completed our study of the distinguishing elements of 

 Proto-Chimu art, we will now examine into the traits of Proto- 

 Nasca art. 



We have seen that realism, grace of line and light coloring X 

 were three of the chief characteristics of Proto-Chimu art. We 

 find in Proto-Nasca art an almost complete reversal of these fea- 

 tures. There is, to be sure, an apparent attempt at realism in 

 some of the Proto-Nasca sub-types, but it is an unsuccessful 

 one in most cases. Look, for instance, at Plate II, Figure 2, and 

 at Plate II, Figure i. In both of these we have a survival of 

 the wonderful modelling that marks out Proto-Chimu art from 

 all the rest. Both of thesfe specimens preserve a certain degree 

 of realism. The former, to note the most prominent feature in 

 each case, holds in his left hand a spear-thrower almost identical 

 with those found in Peru by Dr. Uhle.^ It would be hard, to 

 find a better representation of an object than this one. Then, 

 too, the hands on the other specimen mentioned are absolutely 

 realistic. Their realism consists above all in this: That they 

 are shown in the natural closed position and the finger-nails of 

 the fingers are not shown. These two specimens, therefore, both 

 with five-digit hands and fairly well-modelled heads, may be said 

 to represent a survival of the Proto-Chimu art-tradition in the 

 Proto-Nasca type and, at the same time, to constitute the nearest 

 approach of Proto-Nasca art to realism. 



Wares of this type were not, however, the most character- 

 istic expression of Proto-Nasca art. Far more common and far 

 more typical were such productions as those that appear on Plate 

 II, Figures 3-6, and Plates III and IV. Excellent examples of 

 Proto-Nasca plastic art are given by numerous writers, to whose 



"Uhle, 1909. 



