Animals played a large part in Moche culture and were frequendy portrayed in pottery. Among the many crea-mres that appear on the ceramics are guinea pigs, deer, llamas, sea lions, and a variety of fish, all native to the region inhabited by the Moche. Other, more exotic animals—among them toucans and monkeys—are seen as well, suggesting to archaeologists that there was a certain amount of trade with adjacent jungly areas such as modern-day Ecuador. It is likely that these imported animals were kept as pets.
Letting out a shriek, this stirrup-spouted monkey is wearing earrings, similar to those worn by the Moche themselves, and clutching a melonlike pepino fruit. Monkeys were trained to assist in the harvesting of fruit from trees.
Although the creatures are often presented realistically, sometimes roaming in their natural habitats, they are occasionally shown symbolically. Human figures, for example, appear with the heads of owls or foxes, possibly representing shamans or priests who have donned animal masks as part of their magical practices. And elaborately clothed hunters pursue animals such as deer or sea lions in such a way as to suggest that the pursuit has a ritual meaning that transcends the mere quest for meat.
Finely modeled antlers and ears surmount this realistically sculpted deer-head bowl. Deer apparently were not commonly used as food, as their bones do not show up in any quantity in refuse deposits. More likely, the animals were hunted for ceremonial reasons, as suggested by images on pots of elaborately clad Moche in hot pursuit of their elusive white-tailed quarry.
Club in hand, a sea-lion hunter nears his quarry on the elaborate vessel at right. The round object in the animal’s mouth represents the beach pebbles swallowed by sea lions for digestive purposes and recovered when the creatures were killed. Believed to have curative powers, such stones are also seen below in the hunting scene drawn on the sides of the pot.
World History
