Bowl Date Unknown

This earthenware bowl, in the shape of a feline, was created by the Moche people. The vessel presents a continuous curvilinear form, from the animal’s head to its tail, which loops to create the bowl’s receptacle. The Moche were pre-Inca peoples from the northern coast of Peru, known for their sophisticated pottery. The formal structure of the bowl reveals a fascination with transforming the functional into symbolic form. The feline, represented with its fangs bared, was a sacred animal, embodying power and supernatural abilities. By integrating the feline form with a utilitarian object, the Moche infused the everyday with the sacred. Note how the artist uses simple lines to define the feline’s features. This semiotic system of signs makes the animal instantly recognizable. Yet it's the bowl’s overall structure that intrigues – the way form and function merge. This piece encourages us to rethink how objects mediate our connection with the world.