Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche Culture, Phase II, ca. 250 to 400 CE. A fabulous blackware stirrup vessel in the form of a zoomorph shown squatting like an amphibian with webbed feet and presenting a frog or toad-like wide mouth and bulging eyes; however, his prominent rounded ears are intriguingly bat or jaguar-like in appearance. Given this, perhaps this little guy represents a transformational beast - part jaguar, part frog or part bat, part toad. A lovely arched stirrup spout rises from the curious animal's back as his flattened belly serves as a base to the vessel. Size: 5.75" L x 4" W x 6.5" H (14.6 cm x 10.2 cm x 16.5 cm)

This general form appears often in Moche ceramics; however, the artist of this piece demonstrates superior command of technique and medium. In the Pre-Columbian world, the frog (rana) was associated with rain, the sustenance that it brings about, and fertility. Nocturnal bats - the only winged mammals that fly - were believed to be as ominous as owls among Pre-Columbian cultures. Swooping and darting in the night sky, the ancients of the Americas linked these creatures to both the underworld and sexual potency, the sexual connotations in turn associated with rain and fertility. The jaguar symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

Provenance: ex-Ashland University Museum, Ashland, Ohio, USA, donated to Ashland University between July 1994 to December 1998

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#165952

TL holes to base and rim. Some minor nicks, scratches, and abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with light earthen deposits.