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Stirrup Spout Vessel in the Form of a Seated Male Figure

Culture
Moche
Date
c.300–600 CE
Classification
Ceramics, containers
Current Location
On View, Gallery 111
Dimensions
7 x 6 x 7 in. (17.8 x 15.2 x 17.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Morton D. May
Rights
Public Domain
Object Number
162:1979
NOTES
The distinctive red and white striped hat and scroll motif on the forehead of this figure identify this vessel as the Dos Cabezas substyle of Moche ceramics. This particular style was produced at the sites of Dos Cabezas and La Mina, located at the delta of the Jequetepeque River on the north coast of Peru. While this vessel was individually modeled by a skilled artisan, it was depicted in a standardized and consistent manner. The individual represented on this vessel is always shown seated with both hands resting on the knees, wearing a striped dome-shaped hat, and facial scroll designs. Similar vessels recovered from archaeological investigations were found with delicate bone pins in the ears; it is likely the perforations in the ears may have once held the same.
- 1969
Everett Rassiga Inc., New York, NY, USA

1969 - 1979
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Everett Rassiga Inc. [1]

1979 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Morton D. May [2]


Notes:
[1] An invoice dated December 2, 1969 from Everett Rassiga Inc. to Morton D. May documents the purchase of this object, listed as "Seated Mochica I figure w/ striped headdress" [May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum].

[2] A letter dated July 5, 1979 from Morton D. May to James N. Wood, director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, includes the offer of this object as part of a larger donation [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, October 10, 1979.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.

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