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This stirrup spout vessel is quite plain, with just a simple braided design at the top, suggesting either a piece of woven cord or perhaps the pattern of a snake’s skin. However its burnished surface is satisfying almost completely without ornament. The “stirrup spout” was one of the most common vessel forms in pre-Columbian Peru and the Andean area. A short spout at the top is attached to two tubes which join with the vessel itself. The form is reminiscent of a stirrup for horseback riding, hence the name. The resulting container was beautiful and versatile, since the main vessel could be shaped into many different forms, with a surface that was either carefully polished or highly textured. These vessels were also practical: in the extremely dry deserts of Peru, such a narrow opening prevented evaporation of the liquid held within. The complex shape of the neck also meant that it was easy to carry: two such vessels could be tied to the ends of a cord, to be slung over a person’s shoulder or a llama’s back. Large numbers of vessels like these have been found in burials of elites on the north coast of Peru beginning about 1800 BCE.

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
6f9fd1c2cbe383ff
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
80251
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
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    "sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/2009.20.96",
    "contentType": "object",
    "stage": "normalized",
    "title": "Stirrup-spout Bottle",
    "description": "This stirrup spout vessel is quite plain, with just a simple braided design at the top, suggesting either a piece of woven cord or perhaps the pattern of a snake’s skin. However its burnished surface is satisfying almost completely without ornament. The “stirrup spout” was one of the most common vessel forms in pre-Columbian Peru and the Andean area. A short spout at the top is attached to two tubes which join with the vessel itself. The form is reminiscent of a stirrup for horseback riding, hence the name. The resulting container was beautiful and versatile, since the main vessel could be shaped into many different forms, with a surface that was either carefully polished or highly textured. These vessels were also practical: in the extremely dry deserts of Peru, such a narrow opening prevented evaporation of the liquid held within. The complex shape of the neck also meant that it was easy to carry: two such vessels could be tied to the ends of a cord, to be slung over a person’s shoulder or a llama’s back. Large numbers of vessels like these have been found in burials of elites on the north coast of Peru beginning about 1800 BCE.",
    "provenance": "Economos Works of Art; purchased by John G. Bourne, Santa Fe, New Mexico; given to Walters Art Museum, 2013.",
    "date": "600-200 BC",
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    "dimensionsRaw": "H: 9 1/2 x Diam: 7 in. (24.13 x 17.78 cm)"
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Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
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    "localId": "80251",
    "label": "Stirrup-spout Bottle",
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Document source metadata
{
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    "sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/2009.20.96",
    "contentType": "object",
    "stage": "normalized",
    "title": "Stirrup-spout Bottle",
    "description": "This stirrup spout vessel is quite plain, with just a simple braided design at the top, suggesting either a piece of woven cord or perhaps the pattern of a snake’s skin. However its burnished surface is satisfying almost completely without ornament. The “stirrup spout” was one of the most common vessel forms in pre-Columbian Peru and the Andean area. A short spout at the top is attached to two tubes which join with the vessel itself. The form is reminiscent of a stirrup for horseback riding, hence the name. The resulting container was beautiful and versatile, since the main vessel could be shaped into many different forms, with a surface that was either carefully polished or highly textured. These vessels were also practical: in the extremely dry deserts of Peru, such a narrow opening prevented evaporation of the liquid held within. The complex shape of the neck also meant that it was easy to carry: two such vessels could be tied to the ends of a cord, to be slung over a person’s shoulder or a llama’s back. Large numbers of vessels like these have been found in burials of elites on the north coast of Peru beginning about 1800 BCE.",
    "provenance": "Economos Works of Art; purchased by John G. Bourne, Santa Fe, New Mexico; given to Walters Art Museum, 2013.",
    "date": "600-200 BC",
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    "dimensionsRaw": "H: 9 1/2 x Diam: 7 in. (24.13 x 17.78 cm)"
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Document source extras
{
    "cul": "Tembladera",
    "med": "burnished earthenware",
    "creator_ids": [
        "31466"
    ],
    "collection_ids": [
        "AME"
    ],
    "exhibition_ids": []
}
Page context
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