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Stirrup-spout bottle with confronting figures

500–800 CE
Not on view
Each side of this Moche stirrup spout bottle shows a prominent subject of Moche iconography, Wrinkle Face and Iguana facing each other. On the left side of each pair, Wrinkle Face, a fanged anthropomorphic figure with wrinkles, snake earspools, a feline headdress, and a snake-headed belt, sits on a throne. On the right side, Iguana, the anthropomorphized lizard, wears a bird headdress. While Wrinkle Face raises a hand with a pointed index finger, Iguana joins both hands in an attitude of veneration. Throughout Moche history, the two companions were portrayed in a wide range of complex scenes, such as burial ceremonies, "bean and stick" ceremonies interpreted as games or rituals surrounding agricultural activities, and combats with supernatural creatures.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Stirrup-spout bottle with confronting figures
  • Date: 500–800 CE
  • Geography: Peru, North Coast
  • Culture: Moche
  • Medium: Ceramic, slip
  • Dimensions: H. 9 x Diam. 6 1/2 in. (22.9 x 16.5 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Containers
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Purchase, Nelson A. Rockefeller Gift, 1961
  • Object Number: 1978.412.70
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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