Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru (North Coast), Moche Culture, ca. 100 to 700 CE. One of my favorites, a polychrome stirrup vessel with its body in the form of the god Ai Apec assuming the shape of abundant corn. His face, with fanged mouth, glares outward from golden corn cobs that tower around him. The tall, cylindrical spout at the top of the vessel also has black fineline motifs of corn stalks around its mouth. This vessel illustrates a fascinating story from Moche mythology: Ai Apec, the creator god, returns from the underworld and manifests as various plants that flourish in the world of the living - notably corn, the plant that the Moche fermented into the sacred drink, chicha. Size: 5.7" W x 8.55" H (14.5 cm x 21.7 cm)

See a very similar example at the Museo Larco, Lima, Peru: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/_/fAE1K9mvDEEX7A

Provenance: ex-Leonard Lyle Dees collection, Topeka, Kansas, USA, acquired between 1950 and 1970

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#148514

  • Condition: Tiny losses to rim and small probe hole low on the body; otherwise in great condition with light deposits, mainly in lower profile areas.

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September 5, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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