Moche Stirrup Vessel Depicting an Erotic Scene, 200 CE - 600 CE
Terracotta
height 15.9 cm
height 6 1/4 in
height 6 1/4 in
PF.2143
Further images
Although many ancient cultures equated sexual activity with the concept of fertility, Moche art is almost unique in its directness. There is nothing abstract about a scene; it is a...
Although many ancient cultures equated sexual activity with the concept of fertility, Moche art is almost unique in its directness. There is nothing abstract about a scene; it is a direct celebration of life's pleasures. If we turn away from it with an air of moral superiority, we are imposing the restraints of our own age upon it. Instead, we should respond joyously to its honesty.