Between 100 - 900 AD, the northern coast of today’s Peru was home to the Moche culture, or the Mochica. The Moche were skillful builders, expressing their beliefs and values through metalwork, architecture, reliefs, and ceramics. Ceramic pots are particularly interesting for us, because over 500 discovered pieces depicted either sexual activity or human figures with enlarged phalluses— phallic libations—such as this one
There are several theories about Moche erotic pots:
Irrigation was an important part of Moche’s development and wealth creation. For this reason, it seems that some of the phallic pots were sculpted for pouring liquid, symbolizing flow;
Some think that the sculptures were used in sexual education. A lack of depictions of vaginal intercourse, and a prevalence of non-reproductive sexual acts, has led some researchers to believe that they were used to teach birth control;
Finally, there’s a thesis that the erotic pots symbolize power relationships within the Moche society, but also Moche’s dominance over other societies.
Read more:
Let’s Talk About Sex: A Discussion of Moche Erotic Pottery [link]
Object of Intrigue: Moche Sex Pots [link]