I fucking love this. It’s so cute but also so menacing with its teeth and red eyes. I wonder what animal it represents. Puma? Some small wild cat? If it was a jaguar I feel like the spots would have survived if it ever had any. Why does it have a bird on its head? Is it related to mythology and folktales or pure whimsy? They must have had people making whimsical nonsense back then, too.

Hear me out:

Recuay culture! Other examples:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Recuay+culture+artifacts%2C+Peru&udm=2

NSFW: They had some pretty wild stuff:

spoiler

The client needs a vessel that is largely practical but mostly to give his kids cat based nightmares.

Its well done but also goofy, I like it. Id love to be able to interview the artist and ask what vibe they were going for. Just normal artistic expression? Scary? Deliberately silly?

Did pre-Columbian Peruvians have cats? I didn't think they had domesticated cats until after, so maybe it's based on a wild cat?

I would like two of these, tyvm. Please gift wrap one.

Must have the same plastic surgeon as Dell.

That one is clearly not from Peru. It's obviously from Cheshire...