PreColumbian Moche Zoomorphic Figure Jug in the shape of a bird measuring 195mm tall by 160mm by 112mm (7.6 in by 6.3 in by 4.4in). This nice bird is intact and is painted in the red and white slip most common mode of decoration in Moche ceramics. It dates from the Moche IV period of Peru, AD450- AD 550.
The Moche culture flourished on the dry deserts of the Northern Coast of Peru between 200 BC and AD 700. Archaeological study of Moche cities has shown that the society was made up of Warrior-Priest rulers, weavers, metalsmiths, potters, farmers, and fishermen. Moche farmers used sophisticated irrigation techniques to turn the desert into productive farmland.