Following in the footsteps of a ceramic tradition that dates back to some of the earliest pottery in the New World, this splendid Ecuadorian vessel speaks of a culture steeped in creative expression. With a series of deftly placed feather-like painted lines, the main portion of the vessel becomes the delightfully abstracted body of a bird. At the same time, a continuation of the feather lines on the neck of the vessel creates the head of the bird, when combined with two incised circles for eyes and a small ceramic protrusion for a beak. As this charming Ecuadorian avian sits perched on his ceramic ring base we cannot help but marvel at the supreme talent of the artist who created it, for he has transformed a simple shape and a few painted lines into an alluring songbird, one whose charming form and melodic notes are still enjoyed today.