Hummingbirds

Dublin Core

Title

Hummingbirds

Description

Hummingbirds above the warriors in this painting signify speed and intense action. The trapezoidal objects hanging from the backs of the warriors, known as backflaps, are made of metal. When a backflap is depicted with half light and half dark color, the artist is indicating that one half is silver and the other half is gold. The rectangular elements with two dots, seen on the tunic and headdress of one of the warriors on the right, depict platelets of gilded copper that are sewn onto fabric. Paisley-shaped objects between the pairs of warriors are ulluchus, fruits that had a religious importance to the Moche.

Creator

Donna McClelland (artist)
Christopher B. Donnan (collector)

Source

Moche Archive. Drawing 100

Publisher

Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Collection

Date

Vessel: Moche 100 - 800 CE
Drawing: McClelland mid-1960s - mid 1990s

Files

Citation

Donna McClelland (artist), "Hummingbirds," in Capturing Warfare: Enemies and Allies in the Pre-Columbian World, Item #22, http://images.doaks.org/warfare/items/show/22 (accessed May 2, 2024).

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