Stirrup Spout Bottle with Suckling Puma
Unknown Artist
12th–15th century
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
H. 10 9/16 x W. 8 5/8 x D. 5 1/2 in. (26.9 x 21.9 x 14 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Containers
Culture
Chimú
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Accession Number
1979.206.832
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Stirrup Spout Bottle Suckling Puma, by an unknown Chimú artist between the 12th and 15th centuries, exemplifies masterful ceramics of Peru's north coast. Belonging to the Chimú culture—a sophisticated pre-Inca society known for its vast empire, intricate irrigation systems, and urban centers like Chan Chan—this vessel measures about 10 9/16 inches tall. The distinctive stirrup spout, a hallmark of Andean pottery traditions inherited from earlier Moche culture, allowed for pouring liquids like chicha (fermented corn beer) without spilling, blending practicality with artistry. Th...