Vessel in Form of Stacked Bowls of Fruits, Vegetables, and Peanuts Possibly 250 - 500

This ceramic vessel in the Art Institute of Chicago was crafted by the Moche people. Note how the artist has stacked bowls to form the vessel's body, complemented by a stirrup spout. The combination of buff and reddish-brown hues gives it an earthy quality. The artist has clearly delineated between the vessel's components, emphasizing each bowl’s distinct shape and contents, and therefore its own individual identity. At the very top, we see peanuts, vegetables, and fruits, and at the bottom, a large, single seed. The repetition of the bowl shape creates a rhythm, yet each level presents a unique texture and tone. The Moche aesthetic here seems to challenge fixed meanings: the vessel not only holds but also represents sustenance. By creating this visual encoding, the Moche artisan offers a complex statement on agriculture, society and symbolic representation. The vessel, therefore, exists as a functional object and a multi-layered cultural symbol.