Moche Stirrup Vessel with Four Lizards

This stunning vessel is divided into quadrants, each of which contains an elegantly stylized lizard. Sketched with a few quick strokes of the brush, these reptiles appear to be guarding the contents of the pot. The lizards native to the north of Peru, subsist almost exclusively on the seeds of the Algarroba tree, which are thought to have strong medicinal properties. It is possible that this pot originally contained some kind of elixir or drug. Though time has long since robbed the vessel of its contents, its air of benevolent magic is still strong.