Vessel with Running Figures

Moche painters were masters at capturing the peak of physical activity. On this vessel are runners whose legs seem to churn so fast they ripple the desert groundline. Such runners, common in Moche art, always carry small bags, the contents open to question. But beans sometimes float around the runners, as here, suggesting they are involved in a ritual for planting. Beans also may have been used in rituals to divine the unknown.

Credit: Gift of John Wise