Four Feline Mortar carved stone c. 1400-1533 CE Inca culture Peru

Four sculpted jaguars climb the exterior walls of the vessel with paws resting on the rim, a frequent motif in Andean art symbolizing power and the supernatural. The jaguar symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. A striking vessel replete with strong technique, attractive form, and layers of symbolic meaning.