Lot 8D
Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche III, ca. 350 to 550 CE. A charming and skillfully modeled pottery stirrup vessel shaped as an ocelot, coated in rich red slip with painted beige spots and stripes that mimic the feline's natural markings. The animal sits on its haunches, its muscular forelegs poised with quiet tension. Its alert expression is rendered with piercing, ovoid eyes, a softly contoured snout, and a closed mouth beneath a pair of prominent, circular ears. Rising elegantly from the back of its head, the characteristic stirrup spout arches toward the shoulders - a form distinct to Moche ceramics, both functional and sculptural. Size: 8.8" L x 4.4" W x 9" H (22.4 cm x 11.2 cm x 22.9 cm)
Felines held deep symbolic meaning in Moche visual culture, frequently appearing in ceramics, metalwork, and woodcarvings. The Moche, who dominated Peru's North Coast for centuries, revered animals like ocelots, jaguars, and pumas for their strength, stealth, and hunting prowess. As apex predators capable of taking down animals far larger than themselves, these cats embodied power, control, and the forces of nature - qualities closely aligned with elite status and rulership. This vessel, likely used in ritual or elite domestic settings, reflects both the Moches artistic sophistication and their complex worldview in which animals served as potent metaphors for authority, transformation, and the supernatural.
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#194322
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines; all done expertly and difficult to notice. Some light surface wear as shown, but, otherwise, excellent presentation with good remining pigments and light earthen deposits in areas.
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