Donnan Christopher B Moche Ceramic Portraits

Moche civilization flourished on the north coast of peru between ad 100 and 800.

Donnan christopher b moche ceramic portraits.

Of all the ancient civilizations that flourished in the americas only one perfected true portraiture of living people and produced it in quantity the moche who inhabited the north coast of peru between approximately ad 100 and 800. Donnan christopher b and donna mcclelland. Iconography of the moche. Donnan the moche the moche inhabited an arid coastal plain bordered on the east by the andean cordillera and on the west by the pacific ocean.

Donnan is professor of anthropology at ucla. Most of their settlements were located in a series of valleys whose rivers cut across the coastal plain carrying water from the mountains to the sea. Moche portraits from ancient peru by christopher b. Using the medium of three dimensional ceramic vessels that could have contained liquid moche artisans typically formed the heads of the individuals they wished.

Of all the ancient civilizations that flourished in the americas only one perfected true portraiture of living people and produced it in quantity the moche who inhabited the north coast of peru between approximately ad 100 and 800. Donnan has traveled the world photographing moche artwork for purposes of publication recording both museum artifacts and private collections that would otherwise be unavailable to the public. It is likely that only a small percentage of the ceramic portraits produced by the moche were ultimately put in graves. Additional essays by hélène bernier.

Unraveling the mystery of the warrior priest national geographic october 1988 551 555. Considered one of the world s foremost experts on the moche he has studied this civilization for more than four decades combining the systematic analysis of moche art with numerous archaeological excavations in peru. Using the medium of three dimensional ceramic vessels that could have contained liquid moche artisans typically formed the heads of the individuals they wished. Moche art of peru.

Its evolution and its artists. He has researched the moche civilization of ancient peru for more than fifty years conducting numerous quantify excavations of peruvian archaeological sites. Although the moche people had no writing system they left a vivid artistic record of their beliefs and activities in beautifully sculpted and painted ceramic vessels colorful wall murals sumptuous textiles and superbly crafted objects of gold silver and copper. Considered one of the world s foremost authorities on the moche he is the author of many books.

Moche portraits from ancient peru christopher b. Using the medium of three dimensional ceramic vessels that could have contained liquid moche artisans typically formed the heads of the individuals they wished to portray though sometimes they presented full figures with realistic portrait faces. Most were probably broken while in use and their sherds simply. Ucla fowler museum of cultural history 1978.