Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, ca. 300 to 500 CE. A delightful bi-chrome stirrup vessel in the form of an iguana. The stirrup rises from the lizard's back, capped by a short, perfectly formed spout. The lizard's body is stout, with four sturdy legs and a face defined by a strong browline, large eyes, and a fierce depicted as a thin line. The tail lifts slightly at the end of the vessel, giving the vessel a dynamic feel, as if the animal is about to move. Dots, stripes, and thick dashes of earthy red pigment give the animal a lifelike appearance; note how it is covered in scales, with wrinkles of skin at its joints, and a crest along its backside. Iguanas were an important part of Moche iconography. Size: 10.7" W x 7.95" H (27.2 cm x 20.2 cm)

Moche people, observing the marine iguana native to the Peruvian coast, incorporated the animal into their complex understanding of the world, which attributed the abilities that animals have what humans lack - such as the ability to fly, to swim long distances, to live in water - associating them with the gods. Iguanas were often associated with another figure in Moche iconography, known to researchers as "Wrinkle Face". In their 2007 exhibition "Dying to Rule: Sex and Power in Moche Society", the curators of the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino wrote, "'Wrinkle Face' symbolizes the powers of the earth. He wears a snake-fox belt and a jaguar headdress covers his head. His long, ferocious fangs represent that feline's power. To balance these attributes with those of the sea - the other major source of subsistence in Moche society - 'Wrinkle Face' is accompanied by 'Iguana', an amphibian that is capable of bridging these two important domains, land and sea."

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired in Paris, France, 2004; ex-Parisian collection formed in the 1980s

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#151856

Although most Moche vessels that appear intact have been restored, if this one has been, it is impossible to detect from close examination. The vessel is in excellent condition with wear to the pigment commensurate with age and light deposits on the surface. TL drill hole on foot.