Pre-Columbian, Peru, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A lively blackware pottery stirrup vessel with a near-spherical body in the form of a jaguar head featuring an expressive visage with incised almond-shaped eyes, a long nose, scores of whiskers above an open mouth full of sharp fangs. The handle compliments this iconography with numerous owls forms stamped onto the bridge and one endearing three-dimensional avian creature perched above with his beak pecking the vertical spout. The iconography of this vessel is highly symbolic. First off, 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. The principal deity of the Moche, whose ceramics inspired subsequent Peruvian cultures including the Chimu/Inca, wears a headdress adorned with a jaguar head and paws and important mortals donned similar headdresses. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery. Owls are also nocturnal and were revered by the ancients of the Americas as the creatures who carried the sun to insure that it always rose in the morning. More generally, birds were regarded as sky animals associated with the celestial realm - the sun, the moon, and the planet Venus. They played an important role as messengers between humankind and its deities. A lovely blackware vessel from these indigenous of ancient Peru, impressive for its artistry, technical prowess, and layered symbolism! Size: 6.25" W x 8.75" H (15.9 cm x 22.2 cm)

Provenance: Ex - Dr. Peter Arnovik Collection, California

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