Raptorial Bird Bottle 4th-7th century Moche This painted stirrup-spout bottle, depicting two raptorial birds, was produced by Moche artists of Perus North Coast. This type of ceramic is called “fineline,” so named for the detailed figures and scenes delicately painted in red slip (a suspension of clay and/or other colorants in water) on a white background. On this vessel the artist illustrated two almost identical raptorial birds, perhaps hawks, falcons, or ospreys, separated by war bundles consisting of a shield, a mace, and spears or darts. Both shields are decorated with sunburst-like designs reminiscent of those seen on actual gilded copper shield frontals (see, for example, one in the Mets collection, accession number 1987.394.129). Raptorial birds are fierce predators capable of snatching animals both in open regions and in forested terrain. As such, these creatures would be suitable symbols of a warriors might. The stirrup-spout vessel—the shape of the spout recalls the stirr