Handle Spout Vessel in Form of a Parrot c. 100 - 500

Can you imagine pouring liquid from a container like this? It definitely beats a boring mug! ️ The Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois houses a vast collection of art from every corner of the globe. This includes a number of works from the ancient civilisations of North, Central, and South America – such as this fantastic vessel in the form of a bird! Created some time between 100 BCE and 500 CE, the liquid container comes from the North Coast of Peru. It belongs to the Moche civilisation, a culture known for their ceramics. The vessel features a spout attached to a handle and shaped into a parrot. Parrots were not just decorative depictions in Moche ceramics – the birds actually held symbolic meaning in the culture. They were associated with spiritual transformation, and journeys between other worlds. The ceramic vessel is painted with natural pigments in a brownish red colour. The wings are demarked by thick lines, while there is a triangular pattern across the parrot’s face. Its beak is slightly open, as if the creature is squawking at the viewer. It’s almost as if you can hear the bird’s call just by looking at this ceramic piece! Jars and containers like this were originally used in a variety of ways, both in personal homes and in rituals or ceremonies. They were often constructed with small holes so that the vessel would whistle when poured! This artwork dates from a time before the European colonisation of the Americas in the 1400s. The ancient Moche civilisation is now lost, but survives in a wealth of ceramics, textiles, and metalwork in museum collections worldwide. Do you think it is important for these artworks to be displayed?