The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 10, 2023

Portrait Head Vessel

c. 200–550

Peru, North Coast, Moche style

(50-800)

Earthenware with colored slips

Overall: 32 x 18.6 x 19.3 cm (12 5/8 x 7 5/16 x 7 5/8 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener 1990.227

Location

232 Andean

Description

The Moche were unique in ancient Peru in creating realistic human portraits, usually in the form of ceramic vessels. In general, such vessels represent more than 750 individuals; identities are unclear but most are elite men, some probably rulers. The stirrup-shaped spout is a hallmark of Moche ceramic production.

Provenance
?-1967
(May Company, Cleveland, OH, 1967, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener)
1967-1990
James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1990
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Citations
Young-Sánchez, Margaret. "The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 79, no. 7 (1992): 234-75. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 265 www.jstor.org
Exhibition history

Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art; February 4 - November 29, 1992. "The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art." The Bulletin of The Cleveland Museum of Art. 79 (September, 1992.) cat. no. 132, p. 275, repr. fig. 132, p. 265.

The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 4-November 29, 1992).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1990.227