Bottle with Runners 3rd-5th century Moche This ceramic bottle was made by a master craftsman of the Moche culture, which thrived on Perus North Coast between the third and ninth centuries A. D. Vessels such as these are called “fineline,” so named for the detailed compositions delicately painted in red slip (a suspension of clay and/or other colorants in water) on a white background slip. The white slip covers the natural reddish color of the clay. The globular shape of the vessels body provided an ample surface for artists to depict scenes ranging from warfare and religious ritual to fishing and sports. This bottle features four figures running, each holding a bag in one hand (see Sawyer, 1966: 48-49, for a rollout drawing). The band at the base of the vessel is painted red, possibly to indicate the ground upon which the figures are running. The figures include a hummingbird with a long beak; a butterfly with an extended proboscis; a hawk or other raptor with a hooked beak; and a fo