Standing Ceramic Figure Holding Disk
Unknown Artist
4th–5th century
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
H. 5 1/2 × W. 3 1/4 in. (14 × 8.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Sculpture
Culture
Moche
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1965
Accession Number
65.266.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enchanting Standing Ceramic Figure Holding Disk hails from the Moche culture of ancient Peru's northern coast, between the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Standing just 5½ inches tall, this ceramic sculpture captures a poised female figure—likely evoking a ritual participant or deity—clutching a disk that may symbolize a mirror, goblet, or ceremonial object. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 5 by Nathan Cummings, exemplifies the Moche's mastery of pottery in the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas collection. Moche ceramics rank among the most technically advanced in the ancie...