Blackware Stirrup Vessel in the Form of a Frog c. 100 - 500

Editor: We’re looking at a ceramic vessel, "Blackware Stirrup Vessel in the Form of a Frog," created by the Moche people between 100 and 500 CE. The craftsmanship is beautiful; it’s so smooth and the frog is stylized but recognizable. How do you approach interpreting an object like this, considering its age and cultural context? Curator: Well, I'm drawn to how the Moche potters skillfully manipulate clay to create this stirrup spout vessel. Consider the labour invested and the material transformation—earth into something functional and beautiful. Blackware indicates specific firing techniques and the controlled introduction of smoke. Were these techniques widespread or specific to certain workshops, potentially impacting social hierarchies or craft specialization? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered the workshops. The material itself does give it a grounded, practical feel. How do you think the choice of the frog form played into its function or meaning? Curator: Exactly. The frog isn't merely decorative. Its symbolic value in Moche culture – possibly linked to water, fertility, or shamanic beliefs – could have impacted who used the vessel and for what purposes. How might the materiality of the vessel and the image of the frog combine to tell us about Moche beliefs and social practices surrounding rituals or resource management? The stirrup-spout itself—efficient for pouring, avoiding spillage—highlights a focus on practicality coupled with symbolic representation. Editor: That really makes me think about the practical skills combined with symbolic thinking and what it suggests about Moche values and life. I hadn't looked at it in that way. Curator: Examining these production and material layers encourages a richer, less romanticized, understanding of past lives. This allows us to appreciate indigenous technologies as they were deeply ingrained with labor, ritual, and societal structure.