Vessel in the Shape of a Crested Animal

525–550 CE
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The vessel in the shape of a creature often referred to as the Crested Animal includes the claws, fangs, and spots and stripes of a feline as well as characteristics of other animals. One of three serrated crests resembles the lower half of a sea horse and curls under the body to serve as the hindquarters.



Las vasijas en forma de criaturas muchas veces hacen referencia al "Animal con Cresta", con sus garras, colmillos y las rayas de un felino, aunque también tienen características de otros animales. Este ejemplo tiene tres crestas en forma de serrucho, una de las cuales se asemeja a la parte inferior de un hipocampo al curvarse en la parte inferior del cuerpo, cumpliendo la función de cuartos traseros.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Vessel in the Shape of a Crested Animal
  • Date: 525–550 CE
  • Geography: Peru
  • Culture: Moche
  • Medium: Ceramic
  • Dimensions: H. 8 9/16 × W. 8 1/4 in. (21.7 × 21 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Vessels
  • Credit Line: Museo de Sitio de Chan Chan, Huanchaco, Peru, Ministerio de Cultura del Perú (13-01-04/IV/A-1/13, 453)

  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing