Ancient ceramics from Ecuador, such as this stunning stirrup handle vessel, are part of a pottery tradition that dates to as early as 3000 B.C., one of the oldest ceramic traditions in the New World. Here we experience the results of a skilled Ecuadorian potter whose ceramic techniques and aesthetic sensibilities combine to create a vessel of refined line and proportion. The vessels exquisitely modeled globular body, with its gently sloping surface, is joined at the top by a stirrup handle and double spout, whose elegant lines are in perfect balance and proportion with the body of the vessel. Surely, the artist who created this masterpiece so many centuries ago would feel honored today, in knowing that his creative effort has not only survived down through the ages but is cherished by all who behold its rare and exquisite beauty.