Kneeling prisoner

Battle, captives and executions are common themes in Moche art. The custom of the combat was to take back the prisoner aliveso that they could be shown to the public. This early Moche captive stirrup vessel depicts a kneeling male with bound hands – a captured naked warrior soon to be sacrificed. As is typical in Moche art, captives are stripped of their warrior’s regalia and weapons and tied with a rope around their neck and hands. Without clothes it was believed that the identity of the captive has also been robbed off. This figure has a blank stare.