Stirrup-spout vessel in the form of a jaguar,

50–100 CE

Salinar and Mochica Pottery

Mochica art, in metal, mural painting, and ceramic, tends toward naturalism and narrative more than other ancient Andean traditions. The Salinar culture, which preceded Mochica on Peru’s north coast, adapted techniques from the earlier Cupisnique ceramic traditions, incorporating greater attention to refined naturalism as well as a distinctive spout style that is small and tapered, with a round straphandle. The Mochica preferred the stirrup-spout for their ceramic vessels, which marked them as particularly potent and sacred objects. In general, the Mochica approached ceramic vessels in one of two ways, producing either thoroughly three-dimensional and simply colored vessels or unmodeled shapes with finely drawn narrative scenes in red on a cream ground.