Strap-Handled Circular Jar in the Form a Composite Feline-Serpent with Diagonal Pattern c. 100 - 500

This strap-handled jar, in the form of a feline-serpent, was crafted by the Moche people. The vessel presents a complex configuration of forms and lines. Note the way the artist has integrated a feline head and a serpent's body into a functional jar. The handle and spout add verticality, contrasting with the vessel’s overall rounded form. The diagonal painted patterns break up the surface, creating a dynamic visual rhythm. The composition destabilizes our expectations of natural forms by merging animal features into an inanimate object. It invites us to consider the symbolic potential of hybrid creatures, which could represent transformation or duality. Consider also how the interplay between the jar’s utilitarian function and its elaborate decorative form complicates simple categorization, merging art and life. The jar is not just an aesthetic object but a cultural artifact loaded with symbolic meaning.