< Back to Female body and maternity

Representation of the female genital organs

Room E1, Vitrine E2


Ceramic
Vicús, Salinar, Nasca, Chimú-Inca
Peruvian Coast
1250 BC – 1532 AD
ML004413, ML004417, ML004419

In ancient Peru, clay was modeled into a variety of forms. In these pre-Columbian pitchers and bottles, the female external genital organs are depicted in detail, establishing a symbolic relationship between a woman’s body and the container. Just as living bodies contain fluids which they emit or absorb, these containers are “animated” to facilitate their function of receiving, containing and pouring out liquids.