Room E1, Vitrine E3
Ceramic
Mochica
Peruvian Northern Coast
Florescent Epoch (1 AD – 800 AD)
ML004309, ML004311
The main bodies of these sculptural bottles from Peru’s northern coast are shaped like a human body. From the long garment and the adornment worn below the lower lip (labret), we can deduce that these were female individuals. Their heads have been modeled in the form of vulvas, and the clitoris can be seen between the lips. These objects made more than 1300 years ago reproduce in detail the forms of the female anatomy.
The “anthropomorphized vulva” is using a drumstick to play a tinya, a small drum made from leather, usually played by peasant women during agricultural ceremonies and dances in the Andes. The sound mimics the beating of the human heart which can be heard from the uterus. This type of drum is associated with the inner world, where plants grow and the continuity of life in the earthly world is ensured.