Moche archive, 1963–2011
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This archive created by Christopher Donnan documents the art and iconography of the Moche, an ancient South American culture that inhabited river valleys in the arid coastal plain of northern Peru ca. 100-850 CE. The bulk of its subject matter are mold-made, painted ceramic vessels. Other media, such as metalwork, textiles, wood sculpture, mural painting, and architecture, are also represented.
Comprised of two (2) subgroups, the Moche Archive consists of various types of photographic material and fineline drawings. Subgroup 1 contains photographic material that makes up the bulk of the collection: 35 mm black-and-white contact prints; black-and-white and color photographic prints in various sizes; 35mm color slides; and black-and-white and color negatives. These materials document Moche art found in a vast array of European and North and South American museums, private collections, archaeological collections, and publications. Most of the photographic materials were produced or collected by Christopher B. Donnan for the Moche Archive. Subgroup 2 relates to fineline drawings of Moche iconography from painted ceramic vessels. Materials include photographic prints, reprographic prints, and original drawings. Occasionally, other kinds of objects and techniques are also documented. Most of the fineline drawings were created by Donna McClelland, though some drawings were created by other illustrators or were photocopied from published sources.
Access and Rights
Access to the collection is by appointment only. Schedule an appointment.
Rights for materials created by Chris Donnan and Donna McClelland were transferred to Dumbarton Oaks in the deed of gift for the collection. Dumbarton Oaks is making those materials available for publication under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Any materials not created by Donnan or McClelland are subject to standard copyright law. Request images.
Preferred citation: Moche Archive, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C.