{"data":{"id":91620,"api_model":"artworks","api_link":"https:\/\/api.artic.edu\/api\/v1\/artworks\/91620","is_boosted":true,"title":"Portrait Vessel","alt_titles":null,"thumbnail":{"lqip":"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAwAFAPMAACQlJiknJy8vLzAtKzo3NFZJPHZlTGdkXnhyaZ6GZ6Wbjqeglq6jl9bPx9vW0AAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAADAAUAAAQLEIwgCjkJKbMcaxEAOw==","width":4644,"height":7152,"alt_text":"Sculpted head of a medium-skinned man in a beige headdress with geometric pattern and distinctive stirrup-shaped top piece."},"main_reference_number":"1955.2338","has_not_been_viewed_much":false,"boost_rank":null,"date_start":600,"date_end":700,"date_display":"600\u2013700","date_qualifier_title":"","date_qualifier_id":null,"artist_display":"Ceramist unknown (Moche)\nSouthern Moche region, north coast, Peru","place_of_origin":"Peruvian North Coast","description":"<p>Among the most distinctive art objects of the ancient Peruvians were ceramic vessels produced by the artists of the Moche culture, which flourished on the north coast between about 100 BC and AD 500. Remarkable for their sculptural naturalism, these stirrup-spout bottles were molded without the aid of a potter\u2019s wheel and painted in earth tones. Moche potters represented everything about their world, from domestic scenes to architecture, ritual events and royal personages, and animals and plants. This portrait vessel portrays individual characteristics\u2014the furrowed brow and full, slightly protruding upper lip\u2014as well as general features recognizable among Peruvian Indians today. With his commanding expression and proud bearing, the depicted ruler conveys an indelible sense of the power of Moche leaders. His elite status is further indicated by his fine headdress, decorated with the geometric motifs of Moche textiles, and by his elongated ear ornaments and the traces of facial paint on his forehead and cheeks. Vessels such as this were placed in burials as funerary offerings, but before they accompanied an individual to the grave, they may also have been sent as emblems of royal authority from a center of power to neighboring districts along with gifts of textiles and other ceremonial presents.<\/p>\n","short_description":"Ceramic portrait vessels produced by artists of the Moche culture are the only discernible examples of portraiture, in a Euro-American sense, from the ancient Andes. Vessels like this one were often placed in burials as funerary offerings. They may also have been sent as emblems of royal authority, or even emissaries, to other elite individuals in nearby settlements.","dimensions":"34.7 \u00d7 20.6 \u00d7 22.6 cm (13 11\/16 \u00d7 8 1\/8 \u00d7 8 15\/16 in.)","dimensions_detail":[{"depth":22,"width":20,"height":34,"diameter":null,"clarification":null}],"medium_display":"Earthenware and mineral slips","inscriptions":null,"credit_line":"Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Fund","catalogue_display":null,"publication_history":"Walter Lehmann and Heinrich Ubbelohde-Doering, <em>Kunstgeschichte des Alten Peru<\/em> (Ernst Wasmuth Verlag, 1924), 81 (ill.).\n\nHeinrich Ubbelohde-Doering, <em>Old Peruvian Art<\/em> (E. Weyhe, 1936), 14 (ill.).\n\nHeinrich Ubbelohde-Doering, \"Portrats der Vorzeit,\" <em>Atlantis<\/em> (Oct. 1936): 598-607 (ill.).\n\nHeinrich Ubbelohde-Doering, <em>The Art of Ancient Peru<\/em> (Praeger, 1952), 222-23 (ill.).\n\nHeinrich Ubbelohde-Doering, <em>The Art of Ancient Peru<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Praeger, 1954), 222\u201323 (ill.).\n\nErwin O. Christensen, <em>Primitive Art<\/em> (Viking Press, 1955), 261, fig. 233 (ill.), as <em>Pottery Stirrup Vessel in Form of a Portrait Head<\/em>.\n\nJunius B. Bird, \u201cArt and Life in Old Peru: An Exhibition,\" <em>Curator: The Museum Journal <\/em> 5, no. 2 (Apr. 1962): 196\u201397, fig. 46 (ill.).\n\nAllen Wardwell, <em>Primitive Art in the Collections of the Art Institute of Chicago<\/em> (Art Institute of Chicago, 1965), cat. 17 (ill.).\n\nJohn Maxon, <em>The Art Institute of Chicago<\/em> (Thames and Hudson, 1970), 244\u201345 (ill.), as <em>Portrait Vessel with a Stirrup Spout<\/em>. \n\nWalter Lehmann and Heinrich Ubbelohde-Doering, <em>The Art of Old Peru<\/em> (Hacker Art Books, 1975), 81 (ill.).\n\nJohn Maxon, <em>The Art Institute of Chicago<\/em>, revised ed. (Thames and Hudson, 1977, reprinted 1983, 1987), 244\u201345 (ill.), as <em>Portrait Vessel with a Stirrup Spout<\/em>. \n\nRichard Townsend, \u201cDeciphering the Nazca World: Ceramic Images from Ancient Peru,\u201d <em>Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies<\/em> 11, no. 2 (Spring 1985): 117\u201339 (ill.).\n\nJames N. Wood, <em>The Art Institute of Chicago: The Essential Guide<\/em> (Art Institute of Chicago, 1993), 12 (ill.), as <em>Portrait Vessel of a Ruler<\/em>.\n\nJames N. Wood, <em>Treasures from The Art Institute of Chicago<\/em> (Art Institute of Chicago, 2000), 31 (ill.).\n\nDorothy Chaplik, <em>Latin American Arts and Cultures<\/em> (Davis Publications, 2000), (ill.).\n\nPam J. Crabtree and Douglas V. Campana, <em>Archaeology and Prehistory<\/em> (McGraw-Hill, 2001), (ill.).\n\nChristopher B. Donnan, \u201cMoche Ceramic Portraits,\" in \"Symposium Papers XL: Moche Art and Arcaeology in Ancient Peru,\" ed. Joanne Pillsbury, <em>Studies in the History of Art<\/em> 63 (2001), 126, 131, fig. 9 (ill.)\n\nBrian M. Fagan, <em>In the Beginning: An Introduction to Archeology<\/em>, 10th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2001).\n\nJames N. Wood, <em>The Essential Guide<\/em>, revised ed. (Art Institute of Chicago, 2003), 12 (ill.), as <em>Portrait Vessel of a Ruler<\/em>.\n\nJohn P. McKay, <em>A History of World Societies<\/em>, 6th ed. (Beford\/St. Martin's, 2003).\n\nElizabeth P. Benson, <em>Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits<\/em>, exh. cat. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2004), 66 (ill.).\n\nDorothy Chaplik, <em>Defining Latin American Art<\/em> (McFarland & Co., 2005), 11\u201312 (ill.). \n\nPam J. Crabtree and Douglas V. Campana, <em>Exploring Prehistory: How Archaeology Reveals Our Past<\/em>, 2nd ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2005), (ill.).\n\nBrian M. Fagan, <em>In the Beginning: An Introduction to Archaeology<\/em>, 11th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2005), (ill.).\n \nHugh Honour and John Fleming, <em>A World History of Art<\/em>, 7th ed. (Laurence King, 2005), (ill.).\n\nJohn P McKay et al., <em>A History of World Societies<\/em>, 7th ed. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005), (ill.).\n\nThomas Buser, <em>Experiencing Art Around Us<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Thomson Wadsworth, 2006), (ill.).\n\nArt Institute of Chicago, <em>Pocketguide<\/em>, 5th ed. (Art Institute of Chicago, 2009), 3 (ill.).\n\nJames Cuno, <em>The Essential Guide<\/em>, 3rd ed. (Art Institute of Chicago, 2009), 18 (ill.), as <em>Portrait Vessel of a Ruler<\/em>.\n\nDouglas Druick, <em>The Essential Guide<\/em>, 4th ed. (Art Institute of Chicago, 2013), 18 (ill.), as <em>Portrait Vessel of a Ruler<\/em>.\n\nRichard Townsend with Elizabeth Pope, <em>Indian Art of the Americas at the Art Institute of Chicago<\/em> (Art Institute of Chicago, 2016), 322-323, cat. 285 (ill.).\n\nLisa Trever, \"El arte antiguo como proceso creativo,\" <em>Arte y Tesoros del Per\u00fa 50 A\u00f1os. Nuevas miradas<\/em>, Coleccion Arte y tesoros del Peru (Fondo Editorial del Banco de Cr\u00e9dito del Per\u00fa, 2023), 120, 122, fig. 1 (ill.), <a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/fondoeditorialbcp\/docs\/libro_bcp_2023\">https:\/\/issuu.com\/fondoeditorialbcp\/docs\/libro_bcp_2023<\/a>.\n\nHannah Edgar, \"20 Artworks Not to Miss at the Art Institute of Chicago\", <em>ARTnews<\/em>, Jan. 22, 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/list\/art-news\/artists\/what-to-see-art-institute-of-chicago-1234691091\/narcissa-niblack-thorne-thorne-miniature-rooms-c-1937-40-gallery-11\/\">https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/list\/art-news\/artists\/what-to-see-art-institute-of-chicago-1234691091\/narcissa-niblack-thorne-thorne-miniature-rooms-c-1937-40-gallery-11\/<\/a>.","exhibition_history":"Art Institute of Chicago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/exhibitions\/3761\/arts-of-ancient-peru-edward-gaffron-collection\"><em>Arts of the Ancient Peru: Eduard Gaffron Collection<\/em><\/a>, May 6\u2013Sept. 30, 1952, no cat.\n\nNew York, American Museum of Natural History, <em>Art and Life in Old Peru: An Exhibition<\/em>, Sept. 25, 1961\u2013Jan. 30, 1962, no cat.\n\nSan Antonio Museum of Art, <em>Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits<\/em>, Feb. 4-Apr. 30, 2006, cat.; New York, El Museo del Barrio, Dec. 3, 2004\u2013Mar. 20, 2005, San Diego Museum of Art, Apr. 16\u2013July 12, 2005; Miami Beach, FL, Bass Museum of Art, July 23\u2013Oct. 2, 2005, Washington, DC, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Oct. 21, 2005\u2013Jan. 8, 2006.","provenance_text":"Eduard Gaffron (1861\u20131931), Lima, Peru, from 1892 to 1912, then Berlin, from 1912 [History of the Department report (Joanne Behrens, 1985) and correspondence in curatorial file]; by descent to his children Mercedes Gaffron (1908\u20131993), Berlin then Durham, NC, and Hans Gaffron (1902\u20131979), Berlin then Chicago [correspondence and documentation of the Gaffron Collection in curatorial file]; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1955.","edition":null,"publishing_verification_level":"Web Cataloged","internal_department_id":21,"fiscal_year":null,"fiscal_year_deaccession":null,"is_public_domain":true,"is_zoomable":true,"max_zoom_window_size":-1,"copyright_notice":null,"has_multimedia_resources":false,"has_educational_resources":false,"has_advanced_imaging":true,"colorfulness":26.0461,"color":{"h":38,"l":81,"s":70,"percentage":0.00447810026192317,"population":49},"latitude":null,"longitude":null,"latlon":null,"is_on_view":true,"on_loan_display":null,"gallery_title":"Gallery 161","gallery_id":2147477236,"nomisma_id":null,"artwork_type_title":"Ceramics","artwork_type_id":36,"department_title":"Arts of the Americas","department_id":"PC-3","artist_id":30183,"artist_title":"Moche","alt_artist_ids":[],"artist_ids":[30183],"artist_titles":["Moche"],"category_ids":["PC-3","PC-109","PC-829","PC-831"],"category_titles":["Arts of the Americas","Art Institute Icons","Latin American","Essentials"],"term_titles":["ceramic","ceramics","people","modeling (forming)","moche","earthenware","inorganic material","pigment","colorant","mochica v","mochica","early intermediate period","Pre-Columbian","americas","art of the americas","vessel","men","indigenous","red (color)","geometric","heads","headwear","andes","painting (image making)","Arts of the Americas","andean","south american","portraits","headdresses","rulers (people)","vessels"],"style_id":"TM-12868","style_title":"moche","alt_style_ids":["TM-7698","TM-6776","TM-6755","TM-6516","TM-6515","TM-12988","TM-13488","TM-13504","TM-13434"],"style_ids":["TM-12868","TM-7698","TM-6776","TM-6755","TM-6516","TM-6515","TM-12988","TM-13488","TM-13504","TM-13434"],"style_titles":["moche","mochica v","mochica","early intermediate period","Pre-Columbian","americas","andes","Arts of the Americas","andean","south american"],"classification_id":"TM-46","classification_title":"ceramics","alt_classification_ids":["TM-74","TM-13487","TM-27"],"classification_ids":["TM-46","TM-74","TM-13487","TM-27"],"classification_titles":["ceramics","earthenware","art of the americas","vessel"],"subject_id":"TM-8810","alt_subject_ids":["TM-10121","TM-12401","TM-11851","TM-9124","TM-12196","TM-12522","TM-8658","TM-12425","TM-12865","TM-12879"],"subject_ids":["TM-8810","TM-10121","TM-12401","TM-11851","TM-9124","TM-12196","TM-12522","TM-8658","TM-12425","TM-12865","TM-12879"],"subject_titles":["people","men","indigenous","red (color)","geometric","heads","headwear","portraits","headdresses","rulers (people)","vessels"],"material_id":"TM-2432","alt_material_ids":["TM-2600","TM-2509","TM-3239"],"material_ids":["TM-2432","TM-2600","TM-2509","TM-3239"],"material_titles":["ceramic","inorganic material","pigment","colorant"],"technique_id":"TM-3912","alt_technique_ids":["TM-3891"],"technique_ids":["TM-3912","TM-3891"],"technique_titles":["modeling (forming)","painting (image making)"],"theme_titles":["Art Institute Icons","Latin American","Essentials"],"image_id":"239e0072-de08-cb26-1484-4776fc27b0fb","alt_image_ids":["ca1f8dae-31e0-d3a0-7aab-35ffd38422b1","4063a8d5-1081-eda7-80bf-1a17680fcb71","0afcb28f-cffc-41d1-6648-e7da5fc779de","97a881b8-f635-007c-e05d-1a36fef456d8"],"document_ids":[],"sound_ids":[],"video_ids":[],"text_ids":[],"section_ids":[],"section_titles":[],"site_ids":[],"suggest_autocomplete_boosted":"Portrait Vessel","suggest_autocomplete_all":[{"input":["1955.2338"],"contexts":{"groupings":["accession"]}},{"input":["Portrait Vessel"],"weight":10996,"contexts":{"groupings":["title"]}}],"source_updated_at":"2026-10-07T14:46:58-05:00","updated_at":"2026-10-07T17:52:04-05:00","timestamp":"2026-10-08T19:07:54-05:00"},"info":{"license_text":"The `description` field in this response is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Generic License (CC-By) and the Terms and Conditions of artic.edu. All other data in this response is licensed under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) 1.0 designation and the Terms and Conditions of artic.edu.","license_links":["https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/","https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/terms"],"version":"1.16"},"config":{"iiif_url":"https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/iiif\/2","website_url":"http:\/\/www.artic.edu"}}