# Feline Vessel with Stirrup Spout

- By: Chimú (Peru, likely north coast)
- Date: 1100–1470
- Medium: Ceramic
- Classification: Ceramics
- Dimensions: 25.7 × 24.9 cm (10 1/8 × 9 13/16 in.)
- Culture: Peru
- Credit line: Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/91671)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/c2800e3b-4ca7-242f-ad01-d0c07ba8f17a/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Felines have been a prominent and recurring feature of ancient Andean art for millennia. Examples like this blackware vessel have been identified as representing pumas—the largest predator in this mountainous habitat. These fierce hunters became symbols of power within many societies. As numerous works in this gallery show, makers often portrayed authoritative human figures and divine beings with feline attributes like fangs, claws, and whiskers.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0