An excellent Moche V Malky effigy from Peru, ca. 550 – 700 AD. This two-chambered vessel is 8-1/2" high and depicts an ancestor emerging from his tomb, carrying a deer to sustain or reward his progeny. He is adorned with a complex avian headdress, ear ornaments and striped mantle, all symbols of elite status. The whistle hidden in his hollow head has great tone and is a rare feature on Moche ceramics. Shamans communicated through ancestral mummies, which provided the link between the world of the living and the spirit world. In excellent condition.
See "Sipan", page 23, for similar example from the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, Germany
