Vicús culture (Frías style) (100 BCE – 400 CE) Female figure known as The Venus of Frías 200–600 gold and platinum 15.3 x 8.7 cm Ministerio de Cultura del Perú: Sala de Oro del Museo Municipal Vicús, Piura
(opposite) Cupisnique culture (1000–200 BCE) Pectoral conch shell and chrysocolla 34.8 x 46 cm Museo Larco, Lima
throughout much of northern and central Peru between the first and eighth centuries. The technical and aesthetic achievements in the formation, decoration and firing of clay place the makers in the very highest ranks of pottery creation. Stirrup vessels, where two handles are united to form a spout, indicate the Moche tradition. As well as the famous portrait heads, renowned for their individual characterisation, important works such as Stirrup vessel in the form of a cormorant can be seen in Canberra this summer. Stylised and simplified, the graceful rhythm of the seabird’s long neck is emphasised. Birds stand for the heavens, felines for the earth, and serpents the
underworld in a creation story that divides the world into three realms. But waterbirds such as pelicans and cormorants move from the sky into the ocean, between domains, as bodies of water are entry points to the underworld. The spread of Moche influence from the Piura Valley in the north to Ancash in the south was founded on wealth from advanced farming and irrigation techniques. Recent excavations have uncovered great riches accompanying the Lord of Sipán and the Lady of Cao. The supreme deity, Ai Apaec, or the Decapitator God, demanded blood, which entailed the ritual torture and killing of defeated enemies.
Highly stratified ranks of society meant the elite had other people sacrificed in their burials. The eventual downfall of the Moche is linked to the disastrous consequences of a severe El Niño in the sixth century, which caused thirty years of flooding followed by thirty years of drought. Such disruption undermined belief in the supernatural power of the rulers. In the central highlands, from about 600 to 1000, the Huari culture built on the achievements of their predecessors, the southern Nazca. Both used colourful patterns to decorate their textiles and ceramics. Huari potters excelled in realising very large vessels, especially urns and face‑neck jars.
EXHIBITION | ARTONVIEW 11