Blackware Spouted Vessel with a Seated Female Holding a Pipe or Staff c. 100 - 500

This ceramic vessel was made by the Moche people of ancient Peru, and it shows the resourcefulness and skill of their pottery traditions. The Moche were expert ceramicists. They shaped clay into complex forms, like this vessel of a seated woman holding a pipe or staff. You can see how they used molds to create the basic shape, then added details by hand. The smooth, dark surface comes from a special firing technique which creates a reduction atmosphere, meaning that there’s not a lot of oxygen in the kiln as it heats up. The Moche made pottery in large quantities. It was a common way to pay tribute or taxes. The forms are so lifelike, it is difficult not to think of each of these vessels as a portrait of an actual individual. By recognizing the intense labor that went into its creation, we can look beyond its function and appreciate the social dynamics that shaped this fascinating object.