Vessel in Form of Two Pumas c. 100 - 500

The Moche people, on the coast of what is now northern Peru, created this ceramic vessel in the form of two pumas. It’s an intriguing example of Moche artistry, not least because it blends the practical with the symbolic. The Moche were master potters, and their ceramics give us insight into their culture and beliefs. Here, two pumas are depicted – one surmounting the other. The puma, a powerful animal, often represented strength and authority in Andean cultures. What’s especially interesting is how the Moche used the stirrup spout, typical of their vessels, to integrate the pumas into a functional object. This piece tells us about Moche society. It suggests a culture where animals held spiritual significance and where art served both a functional and symbolic purpose. To further understand the vessel, we can turn to archaeological records, ethnographies, and studies of Moche iconography. These shed light on the social, political, and religious contexts in which the artwork was created. The meaning of art, in this case, is intrinsically tied to its cultural and institutional setting.