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Chapter 7. Moche Forms for Shaping Sheet Metal
- University of Texas Press
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The Moche were among the most sophisticated metallurgists of the ancient world. They were extremely skilled at casting, utilizing both open molds and the lost wax technique. But most objects were made of sheet metal, skillfully shaped into low-relief or threedimensional depictions of people, plants, animals, and supernatural figures. Until recently, it was not understood how Moche sheet metal objects were shaped. This chapter demonstrates that the Moche used solid metal or wood forms over which sheet metal was carefully hammered. In this way, sheet metal was transformed efficiently into the desired shape, and duplicate objects of nearly identical size and form could be produced. Anthropomorphized Owl Form Our first recognition of a form for shaping sheet metal was an anthropomorphized owl figure with detached arms (Figures 7.1, 7.2). The figure wears a simple headdress , a loincloth, and a tunic with triangular elements decorating the hem. The main body stands 11.2 cm high and weighs 660 grams. It was a solid cast of metal in an open mold. The flat back (Figure 7.1c) exhibits the rippled texture characteristic of the upper, exposed surface of an open mold casting. The undercuts on the face and body would have necessitated breaking the mold in order to remove the casting. The mold, which may have been of stone or fired ceramic, was therefore a unique product that would have produced only one casting. The surface of the casting is slightly corroded to a gray-green patina, but in most areas it retains a good likeness of the original form. The only notable exceptions are the concretion of corrosion at the proper left side of the headdress and along the outer flange of the proper left ear (Figure 7.1a). The two arms are separate from the body. They are bent at the elbows, with the hands closed (Figure 7.2). Slight depressions around the wrists indicate bracelets. The proper right arm has a maximum dimension of 3.12 cm and weighs 24 grams. The proper left arm has a maximum dimension of 3.9 cm and weighs 30 grams. Seam lines bisect each arm along the length, indicating that the arms were cast in enclosed two-piece molds. No signs of any casting sprues remain on the arms. A nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to determine the composition of the form’s exposed surface.1 The spectrum taken from the front of the torso (Figure 7.3) reveals the presence of copper with slight traces of nickel, silver and iron. A similar spectrum was chapter seven Moche Forms for Shaping Sheet Metal christopher b. donnan, university of california, los angeles david a. scott, cotsen institute of archaeology, university of california, los angeles todd bracken Abstract The Moche were extremely skilled at shaping sheet metal into low-relief or three-dimensional depictions of people, plants, animals, and supernatural figures. They created these objects by carefully hammering sheet metal over solid forms made of either copper alloy or wood. Thus they were able to efficiently transform sheet metal into complex shapes and produce objects that were nearly identical in size and form. 114 christopher b. donnan, david a. scott, and todd bracken figures 7.1. Anthropomorphized owl form used to mold sheet metal. Private collection. Photograph by Christopher B. Donnan. figure 7.2. Detail of anthropomorphized owl form. Private collection. Photograph by Christopher B. Donnan. [52.91.177.91] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 09:25 GMT) Bottle in the form of fish-boat. Museo del Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, Lima (ACE-2975). Photograph by Steve Bourget. Skeletal being tied to a tree and pecked by a black vulture. Museo Larco, Lima (ML-001478). Modeled ulluchu bowl. Courtesy of Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología e Historia, Lima (C-16589). Ritual activity under bicephalous arc. Linden-Museum, Stuttgart. Drawing by Donna McClelland. Feline effigy from Platform I, Huaca de la Luna. Photograph by Steve Bourget. Figure holding a tunic. Museo Nacional de Antropolog ía, Arqueología e Historia, Lima (C-61527). Spider being, North Wall, Huaca de la Luna. Photograph by Steve Bourget. Spider modeled on a stirrup spout bottle. Museo del Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, Lima (ACE-593). Photograph by Steve Bourget. [52.91.177.91] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 09:25 GMT) Bottle in the form of a Wrinkle Face with spider attributes and an octopus headdress. Museo del Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, Lima (ACE-507). Photograph by...