Bravo to the brilliant PR person who came up with the title for this exhibition; hip, hype, funky (for what is – after all – ceramics). But – fair enough – these pottery objects do reveal an astonishing link that the Mochica people established between religion, power, sexuality and death…

Anthropomorphic figure, sitting © Museo Larco, Lima-Pérou

For the very first time in Europe, the exhibition « Sex, death and sacrifice in the Mochica religion » brings together 134 Mochica ceramics depicting sexual or sacrificial acts with a surprising level of realism, predominantly of a sexual nature between animals and/or anthropomorphous figures.

The Mochica craftsmen have moulded these non reproductive rites into their pottery, making the stylised sexual attributes the central themes of an iconography for ritual purposes whose boldness is as pronounced as the strength of their beliefs. Within this ideology dwells the concern for ensuring proper continuity of society and in a more general manner that of the whole universe.

© Museo Larco, Lima-Pérou

Truth told, there is nothing erotic about these astonishing representations, and their naturalism is just superficial, since they represent the essential part of supernatural entities or processes combining things that are normally far removed from one another: the living dead, animals with human attributes, gods who are at once destructive and regenerative. Intriguing and surprising objects that the exhibition will explain fully.

The exhibition Sexe, mort et sacrifice is at the Musée du Quai Branly (here) from 9th March – 23rd May 2010. Open Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11am – 7pm; Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11am – 9pm. Admission 8.5€ / 6€.

Official site: www.quaibranly.fr