This highly spirited feline stirrup jar is a splendid example of the artistry of the ancient Peruvian culture known as Chavin, named after its best-known highland ceremonial center, Chavin de Huantar. Here massive temples were built of finely dressed stone and embellished with spectacular sculptural ornaments. Versions of these powerful architectural motifs and symbols also ornamented their well-made pottery, an exquisite example seen here in this jaguar stirrup jar. The magnetism of this most powerful feline is masterfully represented by large daunting fangs and fiercely expressive eyes and brows. The textured decorative treatment of the pot surface combines with the smooth, highly polished feline face to give the pot a remarkably tactile quality. The distinctive shape of this handsome vessel resembles that of a gourd, the result of a natural outgrowth of the local pre-pottery tradition of carving these hard-shelled, shapely fruits. The highly expressive and dynamic quality of this feline jar attests to the creative and spiritual sensitivity of the ancient Chavin culture that produced it. When we hold this dramatic vessel in our hands we can feel the ancient and powerful feline spirit, a sensation that truly transcends time.