Moche portrait vessels depict the aristocracy of ancient Peru. With originals modeled from life, the vessels were then pressed into molds, sometimes over a period of years. Buried in tombs...
Moche portrait vessels depict the aristocracy of ancient Peru. With originals modeled from life, the vessels were then pressed into molds, sometimes over a period of years. Buried in tombs they served as marks of respect from the individuals they portrayed. This fascinating portrait shows a man with proud, determined features. Lines of age have been incised on his face, as if updating an earlier image. Though not young, he possesses a remarkable vigor that reaches out across the centuries. We do not doubt for a moment that in his own world he enjoyed the privileges of power.