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Moche Stirrup Spout Portrait Vessel

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 2,500.00 USD
Moche Stirrup Spout Portrait Vessel
<B>Stirrup-spout Portrait Vessel</B></I><BR>Moche<BR>A.D. 300 - 600<BR>Burnished and slipped ceramic<BR>Height 11 1/4 in. Width 6 7/8 in.<BR><BR>The vessel shows a full-faced male wearing disk earrings, the stirrup-spout oriented in line with his nose. The front base of the spout issues from a clipped shock of hair above the central forehead. An expression of self-assurance animates the portrait. Such vessels were made from molds in considerable numbers. Since images of the same person have been found in varying contexts, it is thought that the portrait vessels were important in Moche socio-political exchanges. The overall condition is good, with minor abrasions and chipping at the rim of the spout. Both ears have been repaired and infilled.<BR><BR>Provenance<BR>Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco: sale 7437E, 9 June 2003, lot 5091, pp.21, 22<BR><BR>