Handle Spout Vessel with Raised Deer Hunt Motifs c. 100 - 500

Curator: The Handle Spout Vessel with Raised Deer Hunt Motifs is an intriguing example of Moche ceramic artistry, dating back to around 100 to 500 AD. The reddish clay is quite striking. Editor: My first impression is how robust it feels. The composition, the circular belly of the vessel and the sharp cylindrical spout—everything creates an overwhelming sensation of sturdiness. I also note that most details are portrayed using contour lines, without much regard for details inside shapes. Curator: Precisely! That sturdy build hints at the ritual importance such vessels held. Its double spout structure is symbolic, common in Moche pottery—perhaps referring to the dualities in their worldview, their focus on symmetry, or the union of opposites in nature and the cosmos. Editor: I find it fascinating how the raised relief narrates the hunt itself. See how some of the deer are facing one direction while the hunters with their tools face another. I cannot make heads or tails of whether the hunt succeeds, or what the dots around them mean! Curator: Moche art often blends historical narrative with mythological themes. Those 'dots' you are looking at—scholars suggest those signify divine presence or an altered state of consciousness. They were, as many indigenous groups, fascinated with the interplay of this physical world and the world beyond. I read those dots as traces of that divine link to nature. Editor: So, hunting as more than just sustenance or even sport but also an access point? I guess if we look at the iconography, the animal itself merges with nature. That brings a totally new angle, especially given its role in shaping their collective unconscious! I find its rough look aesthetically delightful despite, perhaps even because, of that seemingly rough contour. Curator: Exactly! Its rawness reflects a deep reverence for the power inherent in nature's cycles. Even its placement within the Art Institute now seems significant, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. The dialogue this humble object instigates bridges both structure and history, hinting at something primal but also meticulously organized. What a potent testament.