This February, we’re going back in time–even further than last month! The Moche people thrived between the 1st and 8th centuries CE in the expansive river valleys of coastal Peru, and they made some very impressive pottery. For my research, I primarily consulted Hélène Bernier’s “Personal Adornments at Moche, North Coast of Peru” (2010) to gather some references and descriptions of what ceramics these ancient Peruvians made and how they were used. I hope Bernier is out there somewhere, living her best life, because this paper was fantastic and exactly what I was looking for.
In her archeological research, she uncovered a wealth of ceramic artifacts (400+ beads alone!) that suggest ceramics were a major part of daily Moche life. Clay beads, vessels, sculptures, and charms were found in elite and non-elite homes alike; ceramics were for everyone! Bernier’s team even uncovered a ceramic workshop, dedicated entirely to ceramics production by hand and using molds.
She also analyzed the collection of pendants found at the site and noticed some trends: ceramic pendants tended to feature human figures, religious scenes, seeds, deities, animals, and crops. My personal favorite pendant type was the owls (shown above).
I also had the pleasure of reading Joanne Pillsbury’s essay on Moche ceramics for The Met, which revealed that the Moche used colored slip to paint designs on their clay– not glazes. In hindsight, this is probably what the Purépecha people used as well, but alas. Slip, which is essentially just clay and water blended together, can be colored and painted on to leather-hard (not wet, not dry) clay to create a more opaque and matte effect. I’ve never tried this technique before and I imagine it won’t be easy, but I’m excited to see how it will turn out.
As always, if you want to read any of the papers I referenced for yourself, check out the bibliography page. See you when I draft up my plans for this month’s string of beads!