Vessel in the Form of a Spider Monkey
| Culture | Veracruz |
|---|---|
| Title | Vessel in the Form of a Spider Monkey |
| Date | 800–900 |
| Medium | Clay |
| Dimensions | Object: 8 3/4 × 9 × 6 5/8 in. (22.2 × 22.9 × 16.8 cm) Overall: 8 3/4 × 9 × 6 5/8 in. (22.2 × 22.9 × 16.8 cm) |
| Credit Line | Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 95.23 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A clay vessel in the form of a monkey with the vessel's opening in the monkey's upper back, its head extending in front of and above the opening. The monkey's legs are in a squatting position, and its arms are bent and raised, holding its own long tail behind and slightly above its head.
This charming vessel may simply represent the spider monkey, an animal which ancient Mesoamericans enjoyed because of its playfulness, or it may refer to a monkey deity, who was the patron of scribes, artists, musicians, and dancers. The liveliness of the vessel is aural as well as visual, for when the monkey is moved, it chatters with the rattling of a pebble or other small object sealed inside it.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Vessel in the Form of a Spider Monkey | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=95.23