Since time began, societies throughout the world
have ascribed the nobler traits of animals to
men. Those respected by their peers are said to
be brave as lions, swift as hawks, or strong as
bulls. Among the Mochica, the warrior class
almost always identified themselves with
creatures of the wild. This striking vessel depicts
a victorious eagle warrior holding aloft his bat
enemy by the hair. The pot itself was probably
intended as a warrior’s tomb offering, imitating
vessels in everyday use. In Moche iconography,
the bat is sometimes associated with the forces
of death and the underworld. This powerful
scene might therefore be interpreted as a
triumph over death. The passage of time has no
way diminished the impact of the image: we are
transported to a world where the fantastic is a
fact of life.
- (PF.1423)
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