Bottle with a Masked Figure and Abstract Feline and Textile Motifs Possibly 700 - 900

This bottle, made by the Tiwanaku people, features a masked figure and abstract feline and textile motifs. Likely created in the Andean region of South America, it offers a window into a society where religious and political power were intertwined. The bottle’s imagery, rich in symbolism, speaks to the beliefs and social structures of the time. The masked figure at the top might represent a deity or a high-ranking priest, reflecting the hierarchical nature of Tiwanaku society. The abstract feline motifs were likely related to power and protection. The textile patterns, rendered onto ceramic, may allude to the central importance of textile production within the Tiwanaku economy. Historians studying such artifacts consult archaeological records, ethnographies, and studies of trade routes to understand the bottle's original function and meaning, but also the precise nature of the institutional and political power it represented.