A stirrup spout vessel (so called because of its resemblance to a stirrup) is a type of ceramic vessel common among several Pre-Columbian cultures of South America beginning in the early 2nd millennium BCE.
These cultures included the Chavin and the Moche. In these vessels the stirrup handle actually forms part of the spout, which emanates from the top of the stirrup. The jars, which were often elaborately figurative, would be cast from a mold, while the stirrup spout was built by hand and welded to the vessel with slip.
Moche Culture and Stirrup Spout Vessels
In the river valleys of the North Coast of Peru, the Moche (moh’-chay) culture grew and flourished at around c. AD 100. For nearly 600 years the Moche culture developed and expanded throughout the major river valleys in the dry coastal plains of Peru. The Moche built large monumental temples, vast irrigation canals and systems, and an impressive wealth of artwork and ceramics.
Moche artwork provided an extremely varied account of activities done throughout the time, and important figures and resources. Moche artwork included men, women, plants, gods and deities, and anthropomorphic figures engaging in activities such as hunting, fishing, combat, sexual acts, warfare, and ceremonial events. Archaeology regarding the Moche has been able to uncover a vast amount of artwork, mostly through the survival of Moche ceramics. The Moche were especially adept at the creation of stirrup spout vessels. They used them largely for the creation of fine wares, but also for intricately sculpted forms such as portraits of Moche leaders. Stirrup spout vessels appeared early in the Andean region. They can be formed in spherical, oblate, cylindrical, cube-like, angled, or molded forms. The Moche created thousands of these stirrup spout vessels throughout the duration of the culture. These were used for both practical as well as artistic purposes.
There are two main classifications of stirrup spout vessels in Moche ceramics. One form was the process of creating a three-dimensional mold and using this to form the clay into an intricate image or figure. One of the most popular Moche ceramic styles was the creation of what is now called Moche portrait vessels. These vessels were extremely detailed and intricate, usually depicting the heads and figures of adult men. Because of the detailed nature of these vessels, it is believed that they are depictions of real, high-ranking, men throughout the Moche culture.
The second classification of Moche ceramics is the creation of Fineline painting on pottery. This artistic style provides a wealth of information regarding life and beliefs throughout the Moche culture. It supplies information on Pre-Columbian daily life, narrative mythology, and ritual practices throughout the region. These Fineline paintings have been given five different categories by researchers Christopher B. Donnan and Donna McClelland, including Vessel Forms, Daily Life, the Natural World, the Supernatural, and Narrative Themes.
Erotic Moche Ceramics
Thousands of stirrup spout vessels have been discovered, with at least 500 pieces displaying sexual or erotic scenes. Although these ceramics display a large range of sexual and erotic imagery and iconography, reproductive sex (penile penetration of the vagina) is rarely depicted. The most common vessel designs focus on positions of anal sex and fellatio. However, other subjects matters include gods, deities, hunting, fishing, sacrifice, combat, burial themes, social activities, warfare, dancing skeletons, and animal copulation, including scenes of mice and monkeys. Specific sex-themed vessel styles do appear more frequently. This is evidence of the use of ceramic workshops being active for some time to allow for the mass production of these vessels, possibly using molds. These pots provide archaeologist with insight into the Moche's, and other pre-Columbian cultures, beliefs towards reproduction and sexual practices. These artifacts show practices such as androgyny (both male and female genitals), hermaphroditism, and sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis. Many of these vessels are on full display at the Larco Museum in Lima Peru. Here there is an entire gallery dedicated to erotic artwork and pottery from the Moche people.
A large portion of these pieces were supplied to the elite members of society. Through the discovery of erotic ceramic ware in elite tombs, archaeologists have concluded that the Moche buried their high-ranking individuals with these sexual pots, as well as in some sacrificial rituals. Ritual paraphernalia and elaborate garments and ornaments were also discovered.