Moche Ceramic Vessels

Most of the moche ceramics have been recovered from the major archaeological sites of huaca de la luna huaca del sol and sipán shown respectively from left to right.

Moche ceramic vessels.

For many years the foundation of moche chronology was a five phase ceramic temporal seriation of moche style vessels established by larco hoyle 1946 1948. One particularly famous moche portrait vessel is known as the huaco retrato mochica. The shaman wears a feline headdress and large disc earrings. Moche is fairly well defined temporally although its origins are less clear than its demise.

Photo by nathan benn wagner edu. Mochica style this modelled ceramic shows a priest or shaman engaged in a curing ritual or praying over a deceased person. The decoration is sometimes painted on the smooth surface of vessels 67 167 4. The portrait was made during the late moche period ca.

Moche vessels are especially well known for their unique stirrup shaped spouts and representational art style depicting humans animals and activities of social and spiritual significance. These phases were verified by archeological strata. Other times it is tridimensional forming the vessel shape itself 82 1 30. Moche ceramic pot vessel in the form of a recumbent anthropomorphic peasant playing the quena an andean flute.

The ceramic portrait is also an example of a stirrup spout vessel of a moche ruler. Archaeologists study and compare styles and themes depicted in moche art for clues about lifestyle belief and cultural variation among these ancient people.