The role of plants in Moche iconography. An analysis of fineline paintings on stirrup spout bottles.

This thesis aims to fill the gap in research on the role of plants in Pre-Columbian societies in the Andes. In this thesis, the role of plants in Moche iconography was studied. An analysis was conducted on a corpus of 95 roll-out drawings. The roll out drawings are made of pots that belong to phases III and IV. In this thesis a method conceptualized by Luis Jaime Castillo was used. As a distinction was made between three stages in the analytical process, attention was paid to different aspects. First of all, the context in which the pots were produced and distributed was described. This stage was called the pre-iconographic analysis. Subsequently, the images on the pots were examined in the second stage, called iconographic analysis. The recurring plants were identified and described, their known uses were given and at last their iconographic situation was explored. In the third stage, the plants were compared. The small amount of depicted plant species was striking, for only the...Show moreThis thesis aims to fill the gap in research on the role of plants in Pre-Columbian societies in the Andes. In this thesis, the role of plants in Moche iconography was studied. An analysis was conducted on a corpus of 95 roll-out drawings. The roll out drawings are made of pots that belong to phases III and IV. In this thesis a method conceptualized by Luis Jaime Castillo was used. As a distinction was made between three stages in the analytical process, attention was paid to different aspects. First of all, the context in which the pots were produced and distributed was described. This stage was called the pre-iconographic analysis. Subsequently, the images on the pots were examined in the second stage, called iconographic analysis. The recurring plants were identified and described, their known uses were given and at last their iconographic situation was explored. In the third stage, the plants were compared. The small amount of depicted plant species was striking, for only the tillandsia, browningia, opuntia, cereus and echinopsis species were identified, despite the enormous area in which the Moche lived. A comparison between the physical description of the plants and its iconographic representation showed a striking lack of details. This was not expected if these plants had implied specific regions within the landscape and makes it doubtful whether the plants played a possible role as location indicators. The presence of roots, their floating positions and the relation between cacti and scenes that are connected with death, fertility and afterlife suggest a symbolic system of which these plants also formed part. Whereas the cacti were mainly connected to scenes of violence, the tillandsias were often shown with ritual runners, a result for which no explanation could be given.Show less

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The role of plants in Moche iconography. An analysis of fineline paintings on stirrup spout bottles.