Stirrup-spout vessel with sculptural representation of an owl

The bird, the serpent and the feline were considered the main deities of the religious pantheon of Andean societies, and from the Cupisnique period on, symbolized the divine powers of the air, earth and the underworld. In their various manifestations, birds, whether as bird of prey, an owl or a duck, usually embodied the night, war and darkness, and acquired anthropomorphic or supernatural features according to the activity they performed. In the Early Mochica style, owls were usually depicted with pointy ears and tufts of feathers at the crown, with or without rectangular ears. This representation is a splendid example of a modeled owl with rectangular ears. (CD)