Pre-Columbian, Peru, Moche IV (Classic Period), ca. 550 to 650 CE. A large-chambered stirrup vessel with a wide spout, a stirrup handle that flares out as it meets the body of the vessel, and a flat base. The body is painted with dramatic, detailed, fineline painting showing a variety of figures and scenes. Figures in beautifully decorated textiles and headdresses speak with one another; half-human, half-animal chimeras hold vessels, weapons, and drug paraphernalia; and, underneath the handle on one side, is a serpent figure inside a house, seated upon a pedestal and moving forward to drink from a large vessel. Plants and flowers also swirl around the scene, including ulluchu fruit, comma shaped and painted to have a grooved texture, which were probably used by the Moche during sacrifices to make it easier to extract blood from human sacrifices. All of these elements create a delightfully busy surface whose story is best understood by imagining it rolled out into a two-dimensional piece of art. One example of a Moche IV vessel of this style still retains sketch lines, giving us an idea of how carefully planned and executed these images were to avoid crowding of the different elements. Size: 5.4" W x 10.25" H (13.7 cm x 26 cm)This vessel represents the finest examples of Moche fineline painting, as in Moche IV, artists had access to the best brushes, slips, and accrued knowledge of those that had come before them. They also had a relatively stable political situation, unlike those who would come after them in Moche V. This example seems to depict several conversations and a ritual hunt, with the serpent inside the house perhaps representing a deity.

Provenance: Private Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA collection acquired before 1995

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#124767

Repaired from about 10 pieces, tip of spout restored.