Stirrup bottleneck vase representing a buffalo toad

This magnificent Buffalo Toad is the work of the Moshe culture, also known as Mochica, a brilliant civilization that developed between 100 and 700 AD, in the desert valleys of northern Peru and which distinguished itself in the production of sculptural vases and bottles, In terracotta, admirable creativity and realism.

The care given to this piece, polished to obtain a magnificent varnished surface, its representation both naturalistic and purified and finally the strong symbolism associated with the toad make it a ceremonial object of great value.

The Buffalo Toad (Bufo Marinus) is native to Central and South America. It owes its name to its size and unusual build. Among all the animals that populate the mythology and beliefs of pre-Columbian cultures, this giant toad occupies a major place, on the border between magic and medicine.

Its characteristics and way of life, both aquatic and terrestrial, have designated it as the privileged intermediary between men and entities of the lower world. Symbol of fertility, because of its astonishing fertility, it was also strongly associated with the rain and embodied, in the eyes of the Amerindians, a promise of abundance but also that of an eternal existence, especially since the amphibian can live several decades.