Moche Stirrup Vessel Depicting a Seated Man

With quiet dignity, this ancient Peruvian contemplates the infinite. We have few clues to his identity, for he wears little more than some jewelry and face paint, but his impressive demeanor suggests he was an aristocrat in his own world. He may represent a real person, or perhaps merely the notion of the person who placed him in a tomb centuries ago. His meditative air suggests that he was meant to keep vigil with the deceased through eternity. Though he keeps his thoughts to himself, in his presence we feel an aura of peace and serenity.