Blackware stirrup spout vessel in the form of a jaguar frog
Blackware stirrup spout vessel in the form of a jaguar frog
Date300-400 CE
Mediumceramic
Dimensionsobject: 8 1/4 × 6 × 8 in. (21 × 15.2 × 20.3 cm)
ClassificationMATERIAL CULTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Larry and Judi Anderson
Object number2004.57.2
Subject(s)
- animal
- frog
Collection
- Pre-Columbian
- Ancient Americas
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThis vessel has the body of a frog and the ears and paws of a jaguar. Composite animals were common in Moche art and represented mythical beings. Frogs were symbolic of water, while jaguars were associated with power and war. Complicated ceramic forms such as this one were created using two-part press molds, allowing artists to make many examples of the same vessel. Sometimes other techniques were also needed, such as coiling or sculpting by hand. The stirrup-shaped spout was fashioned by wrapping wide strips of clay over three wooden rods which were then removed and the resulting tubes were formed into a loop and attached to the main chamber. The color was achieved during firing, with the clay turning black from red or brown when the potter deliberately reduced the amount of air inside the firing chamber.
Moche II, Early Intermediate
2nd century BCE - 5th century CE
