Dying to Rule: Sex and Power in Moche Society – 2007
Presentation
This exhibit displayed a hundred pieces from the Moche culture loaned by the Larco Museum in Peru to explore the theme of sexual representation in the cosmovision of this pre-Hispanic society of the Peruvian coast. The curation of the exhibit was based on a recent study conducted by Dr. Steve Bourget that analyzed the large number of sexual representations in objects attributed to the Moche people, concluding that in this society—as among other ancient peoples of India, Africa and Asia—sex played a symbolic role that was directly related to death, sacrifice, and especially political power. As the leaders of this society were seen to be responsible for agricultural fertility, the abundance of marine resources and even the very existence of the Moche people, sexual acts and their representation on ceramic objects, textiles and murals performed the function of ensuring succession, avoiding danger and preventing natural and social catastrophes that could lead to the death of the current ruler.