Description:

Pre-Columbian, north coast Peru, Moche, Phase V, ca. 650 to 850 CE. An intricately painted pottery stirrup-spout vessel from the later Moche tradition, its surface adorned with complex fineline motifs. The rounded body is encircled with geometric and abstract designs, including triangular and circular elements that may represent shells, plants, or fruits, highlighting the Moche fascination with both natural abundance and symbolic imagery. Interspersed among these organic references are weapon forms, possibly maces or clubs, reminders of the Moche's martial culture and the integration of warfare into ritual life. The spout rises from a broad stirrup handle, itself embellished with linear bands and circular fineline decoration, creating a striking visual balance between form and ornament. This vessel exemplifies the Moche mastery of narrative and symbolic surface painting, in which daily life, myth, fertility, and conflict all converge in highly stylized motifs. Size: 5.5" L x 5" W x 8.4" H (14 cm x 12.7 cm x 21.3 cm)

Such works not only functioned as containers but also as storytelling devices, encoded with meaning for elite audiences and frequently interred in tombs as offerings to accompany the dead.

Provenance: private Atlanta, Georgia, USA collection, acquired in June 2020; ex-Pax Historia, Toronto, Canada; ex-K.S. Collection of Pre-Columbian Art, Toronto, Canada; ex-private Sulca, New York, USA collection

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#197876

  • Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines. Chip to base, but, otherwise, excellent presentation with impressive detail. Old collection label on underside of base.

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October 17, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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