Chimú Stirrup Vessel with Monkey on Spout

A tiny monkey clings to the spout, apparently unwilling to be left out.

This stirrup vessel with monkey on spout is Chimú, from Chimor, now northern Peru, and dates to 900 to 1470 CE. It is pottery and blackware. Chimú potters favored polished black ware fired in a reducing atmosphere, and the stirrup spout was a long-standing Andean vessel form. The flattened round body carries a raised central medallion with a figure, ringed by a band of small bead-like dots. A thick stirrup handle arches above, joining a tall straight spout where a small monkey perches. The surface is a soft charcoal sheen. It is 5.25 inches wide and 10 high.

Every good pot deserves a lookout.