Jonathan Kaplan on sun 29 jun 97
When I was in grad school, I spent two years researching and documenting
erotic ceramics from the Northwest Coast of Peru, notably the Moche culture
(not to eliminate the Nazca, Chimu, etc etc as there was significant
crossover.) The results of this were published in a paper entitled
"Environmental Documentation in Erotic Peruvian Ceramics." Much of my
reserarch was carried out at the Kinsey Institute in Bloomington Indiana,
which housed a signifcant quantity of ceramic work as well as excellent
texts. Also invaluable to this work were many museums, both in Peru as well
as in the States. I am also the proud owner of perhaps one of the most
complete slide collections of this work.
I came across many mugs/bowl vessels with perforated rims. The mugs were
highly stylized, many being human representations, The handles were a
hollow erect penis, starting at the base of the mug, complete with a hole
in the glans. Obviously, one could not drink from the rim, and the only way
to drink from this mug (if its intent was to be a functional piece) was
from the penis.
There were also female adaptations of this work. In a few instances, there
were small vessels with fake bottoms, concealing a second chamber
underneath. The barrier between the chambers (the fake bottom) was modeled,
quite accurately in fact, as the female genetalia, complete with
labia and clitoris. There was a small hole that allowed only a minute
quantity of water or whatever into the second chamber, When filling the
bowl or emptying it, the movement of air and water created a whistling or
sighing sound.
Not only did these peoples have a highly refined ceramic/pottery making
culture, but also a highly elevated sense of humor.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan, president jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group Ltd./Production Services
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs CO 80477
(970) 879-9139*voice and fax
http://www.craftweb.com/org/jkaplan/cdg.shtml
http://digitalfire.com/education/articles/kaplan1.htm
| |
|
