Lot 160A
Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Moche, Phase III, ca. 300 to 450 CE. A charming pottery stirrup vessel featuring a pair of fighting jaguars and fineline painting of an additional feline with cacti, birds, and snakes. Sitting upon the orb-shaped vessel, the 2 animals grasp each other with their forepaws, their heads facing in opposite directions with one baring its sharp fangs and the other opening its mouth in a fierce roar that exposes jagged teeth and an extending tongue. The jaguar symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. The principal Moche god wears a headdress adorned with a jaguar head and paws and important mortals donned similar headdresses. Size: 7.5" L x 6.4" W x 7.7" H (19 cm x 16.3 cm x 19.6 cm)
A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery. Oddly enough, few Moche artists would have seen jaguars as they are not indigenous to the coast; jaguars prefer moist forest conditions. However, scholars believe that some cubs were transported over the mountains for Moche rituals, and it is also possible that some jaguars wandered down the coast.
Provenance: private Ferndale, Michigan, USA collection; ex-private Detroit, Michigan, USA collection, acquired prior to 2004
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#182138
- Condition: Professional repair and restoration to spout, as well as some nicks, small chips, and surface abrasions as shown. Otherwise, mostly intact with a very nice presentation and good remaining pigments.
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