Stirrup Spout Bottle with Ai-Apec
Unknown Artist
5th–7th century
Medium
Ceramic, pigment
Dimensions
H. 8 1/4 x W. 4 1/2 in. (21 x 11.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Containers
Culture
Moche
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1965
Accession Number
65.266.81
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Stirrup Spout Bottle, crafted by an unknown Moche artist between the 5th and 7th centuries, hails from ancient Peru's northern coast. Made of ceramic with vibrant pigments, it measures 8¼ x 4½ inches and exemplifies the Moche culture's mastery of pottery (ca. 100–800 CE). The distinctive stirrup spout—a double-chambered handle connecting two spouts—was both functional for pouring liquids without spilling and symbolic, often used in rituals or burials to hold offerings like chicha (corn beer). The vessel depicts Ai-Apec, a principal Moche deity linked to creation, fertility, and...