Fine Moche Seated Warrior Stirrup Vessel

**Originally Listed At $1400**

Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. An interesting example of one of the classic forms of pre-Columbian pottery - the Moche stirrup vessel, using the shape of a seated human body and attaching a handle to create a ceremonial drinking vessel. The human figure depicted here is a warrior who has been hunting - he holds a six-pointed mace head in one hand, and wears a flat, square shield around the other wrist. His poncho covers his drawn up knees, exposing only the tips of his toes. Slung across his back is a deer, its back legs tied around his forehead. Size: 5" W x 8" H (12.7 cm x 20.3 cm)

This shape of vessel is one imbued with symbolic meaning; the "sleeping" warrior (warriors depicted with their knees tucked up under their tunics) is mirrored in stirrup jars that are shaped like female priestesses, so it seems likely that they are actually people in a mind-altered state and therefore in contact with the gods. The bulging eyes of the figure provide further proof. The deer, meanwhile, was both an animal hunted by elite members of society and a symbol of sexuality. A vessel like this would have been created for a member of the elite and placed in their tomb as a grave offering to demonstrate their wealth as they began their journey into the afterlife.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private New York, USA collection

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#139225
Condition Report: Repaired and restored from multiple pieces. Restoration with new clay and pigment around the knee area and possibly the back near the handle, but it is well done and very difficult to discern.