Boldly blending painted surfaces with sculpture, this powerful pot is a masterpiece of the Recuay style. Its central image is of a warrior or shaman who wears a zoomorphic helmet and a tunic decorated with a stylized beast. He is flanked on either side by two fierce eagles whose heads protrude from the surface of the pot. Blurring the line between the tangible world and the realm of the spirits, this abstract vessel radiates a timeless magic. Like a hero in a myth or legend, we sense that the benevolent forces of nature protect the central figure. The vessel speaks of a society in harmony with the world around it.