Larco Museum: Moche pottery depicting sacrifice

Moche pottery depicting sacrifice on display at Museo Larco in Lima, Peru

Moche pottery depicting sacrifice on display at Museo Larco in Lima, Peru

Moche pottery depicting sacrifice
The image shows a beautifully painted ceramic pot belonging to the Moche culture, which flourished in northern Peru from 100 CE to 700 CE and was contemporary with the Nazca culture in the south. The pot is on display at Museo Larco in Lima, Peru.

The pot has a detailed painting which the experts believe depicts a scene in which a prisoner is being sacrificed. The museum has created a flattened view of this painting and imprinted on the base on which the pot is kept. As you can see from the flattened view (click the image to expand it), the warrior priest is presenting a cup to a deity (upper half) while the prisoner is being sacrificed (lower half).

The Moche are known for their artistic expression, especially in their pottery. Their pots are multi-colored and expressive and depict everyday life, rituals, deities, and animals.

Pots and artifacts related to the Moche

Related Pages
Ancient Cultures of Peru, Inca Civilization, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lima, and Peru

Copyright © 2017 – 2019 by Lawrence Rodrigues. All rights reserved.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Translate »

You cannot copy content of this page

%d bloggers like this: