Moche Pottery Stirrup Spout Bottle with Raised Bird Decoration

Pre-Columbian Era, Moche Culture, Phase II–IV, c. 200–600 AD, Northern Peru

An exceptional and beautifully balanced Moche stirrup spout bottle, crafted during the height of Moche ceramic innovation. Squat and strong in form, the vessel’s broad body is adorned with a continuous raised motif of a long-necked bird—likely the coastal cormorant—stylized yet remarkably accurate in anatomical rendering. The bird’s head repeats six times around the shoulder in an elegant, scroll-like design, exemplifying the precision and artistic sophistication of Moche potters.

The cream-toned body, now partially faded, provides a soft contrast to the red slip of the bird forms, evoking the traditional Moche color palette. The vessel’s surface retains a smooth patina, enhancing its visual impact and sense of age. This harmonious combination of color, form, and symbolic content underscores its ceremonial importance.

Cormorants, native to Peru’s coast, held deep spiritual significance for the Moche. As seabirds that soar through the skies and dive into ocean depths, they were seen as liminal creatures, moving between the spirit world (air) and the underworld (water). For the Moche—who believed water to be the gateway to the underworld—such animals were revered for their trans-realm nature and appeared frequently in their visual lexicon.

The Moche civilization, flourishing between 200 and 700 AD along Peru’s northern coast, is renowned for its extraordinary ceramics, advanced metallurgy, and monumental architecture. Among their most iconic artifacts are stirrup spout bottles, which combined utilitarian function with symbolic and ceremonial meaning. These vessels often featured animals, deities, or complex narrative scenes modeled with remarkable realism and stylization.

This bottle is a striking example of the Moche’s artistic ingenuity, spiritual worldview, and technical mastery. Its exceptional preservation, sculptural finesse, and rich cultural symbolism make it a distinguished and desirable piece for collectors of ancient Andean art.

Excellent condition. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, nicks and chip to the rim, with fading to some finer features, and light encrustations within recessed areas. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Traces of red, black and cream color. Size approx. 23,0cm x 12,5cm x 12,5cm.

Provenance: Swedish private collection. Acquired abroad and brought to Sweden in the 1960s.

For a similar examples see:

Stirrup-spout bottle, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Accession Number: 81.0527

Vase, The British Museum, Accession Number: Am1909,1218.174 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Am1909-1218-174)