Stirrup Spout Bottle with Reclining Figure
Unknown Artist
1st–6th century
Medium
Ceramic, slip, pigment
Dimensions
H. 7 1/4 x W. 10 3/4 in. (18.4 x 27.3 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 Judith Riklis, 1983
Accession Number
1983.546.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Stirrup Spout Bottle Reclining Figure, by an unknown Moche artist between the 1st and 6th centuries, hails from the ancient Moche culture of Peru's northern coast. The Moche, flourishing from around 100–700 CE, were renowned for their masterful ceramics that blended functionality with vivid storytelling. These vessels were not mere containers but cultural treasures, often used in rituals, burials, or daily life, reflecting the society's deep interest in human forms, myths, and social hierarchies. The bottle's distinctive stirrup spout—a looped handle joining twin spouts—allowed...