Pre-Columbian, Peru, Moche IV (Classic Period), ca. 550 to 650 CE. A large figural terracotta vessel in the form of a jaguar, rearing upwards, showing its fierce face in a snarl with its tongue out and canines fully displayed. Its front paws are raised, ready to strike. A very wide, conical spout rises from the top of the head/back of the neck of the jaguar. The body is painted with swirling and striped lines in creamy white on a reddish background. This style of depiction represents the jaguar god, raising his paws towards the sky, instantly recognizable to a Moche individual seeing it. Size: 5.4" L x 7.65" W x 10.4" H (13.7 cm x 19.4 cm x 26.4 cm)

Jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world; hence, warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex H. J. Westermann collection, Germany

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#126831

Repaired and restored on base and lid; repairs are very well done and difficult to see. Overpainting on restored areas.