Jar in the Form of an Erotic Scene Possibly 1200 - 1470

Editor: This ceramic piece is called "Jar in the Form of an Erotic Scene" by the Chimú-Inca culture, possibly dating back to 1200-1470. The figures are compelling, yet the use of clay gives it an everyday quality. What's your interpretation? Curator: Looking at it from a materialist perspective, the choice of ceramic is key. It suggests that the function wasn't purely symbolic. We have to consider the labor involved: digging the clay, processing it, sculpting, firing. This wasn’t just art; it was craft, maybe even mass-produced to some extent. How do you think the erotic nature impacts its consumption? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn't considered mass production. The erotic imagery, I suppose, makes it less about some idealized love and more about the physical act itself, potentially connecting it to fertility or abundance. Does the use of readily available materials demystify the scene for you? Curator: Precisely! It places the artwork firmly within the reach of ordinary people. Think about the social context of its production and use. Was it accessible to everyone, or did certain groups control access to both the jar and the sexual knowledge it represents? Was it, perhaps, traded and exchanged with the image reinforcing cultural values concerning fertility and kinship through the exchange of goods and the act depicted? Editor: I never would have considered the jar as something traded... food for thought! It makes you question its original context more deeply, understanding its function within the Chimú-Inca culture. Curator: Exactly. Considering the labor, material, and possible commodity status brings it all to the fore. This is an artwork intimately tied to the social and economic structures of its time. Editor: This perspective on materiality has revealed a new, more tangible, connection to the past for me. Curator: Indeed. Looking at the means of production opens new doors to understanding history through art.