Stirrup Spout Vessel in Form of Stacked Bowls of Food c. 100 - 500

This Moche stirrup spout vessel, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, is an offering of sustenance, shaped as stacked bowls of food. The Moche people, along the northern coast of present-day Peru, frequently used stirrup vessels to portray elements of daily life. The act of stacking bowls bears a psychological weight beyond mere representation. We see echoes of this motif in varied cultural contexts, for example, in the cornucopia of classical antiquity, symbolizing abundance and prosperity, where containers overflow with food. What strikes the eye is the vessel's resemblance to a funerary offering. In cultures worldwide, food vessels accompany the dead, reflecting an enduring belief in sustenance beyond earthly existence. The Moche have left us a potent reminder of our cyclical existence. A powerful testament to how civilizations converge on fundamental human concerns.