The painting on this stirrup-spout vessel represents a procession of ritual runners in the form of humanized animals, including a warrior with the face, wings, and tail of a bird, perhaps a hawk. The warrior figure is wearing the typical Moche warrior’s skirt, belted at the waist. Warriors are often associated with hawks in Moche art.

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian
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The National Museum of the American Indian  |  George Gustav Heye Center  |  New York, NY

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