Portrait-Head Vessel
Culture
Moche
Date300-700 CE
Mediumceramic
Dimensions28.9 x 16.5 x 14.2 cm (11 3/8 x 6 1/2 x 5 9/16 in.)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1968.55
DescriptionPortrait vesselLabel TextMoche portrait vessels are thought to represent actual individuals from the past, identifiable by their distinctive facial expressions and features. For that reason, many scholars have taken an anthropological—and sometimes medical—approach to these objects. The proposition of being face-to-face with a Moche person is certainly appealing, however these bottles were artistic renderings that may not all have been based on reality. Moche potters often reused the same molds to create multiple portrait vessels: the Denver Art Museum has a bottle shaped from the exact same mold as this one.ProvenanceAlphonse Jax, 222 West 83rd Street, New York, NY
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