Timeless 'design?'

Q: Is this (left) a small prehistoric olla from the Peruvian North Coast or a broken domestic utensil from my mother-in-law's garden in Connecticut? 

A: It's a modern flower pot from New England. We think the expansion of trace amounts of water during the frozen winter shattered the pots.

But it looks so much like the ceramic vessels we find from the 11th-16th century Peruvian Coast. What explains the similarities... the incredible likeness - between prehistoric Andean and modern American material culture, in this case?

Is it function? Well, this pot is for planting and the Peruvian versions would likely be for storage and cooking. 

Is it aesthetics? Could be that this simple form has broad visual design appeal.

Is it a function of material limitations? Perhaps only certain forms are possible with this kind of terra cotta vessel.

Is it diffusion? Eh, I don't even want to go there. Though, in a modern, globalized context it's not unlikely that potters from very different parts of the world would have observed foreign and ancient vessels. However, this kind of plain ware is rarely on display in museums.

Most likely there's an interesting story here that, unfortunately, I won't be able to investigate. I'm only here briefly.

One thing is certain, though. Like many prehistoric ceramic fragments, this vessel is in 'provisional discard.' My mother-in-law is saving it until she finds the right glue to repair it.