Handle Spout Vessel in the Form of a Mace with Fineline Mace and Shield Motifs c. 100 - 500

This handle spout vessel, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, was crafted by the Moche people of ancient Peru. Shaped like a mace, it offers a glimpse into their complex society. Moche culture, which thrived from about 200 to 850 AD, was deeply stratified. Vessels like this weren't just functional; they were potent symbols of power and status. The mace form suggests authority, while the shield motifs hint at warfare, a significant aspect of Moche life. Think of the person who might have used this. Was it a ruler, a warrior, or a priest? Consider the hands that molded this clay and applied the intricate designs. Pottery was a vital art form for the Moche. Their ceramics documented daily life, religious beliefs, and power struggles. Through this vessel, we connect with a civilization that expressed its identity through art, intertwining the practical with the symbolic.