Objects of Empire : The Ceramic Tradition of the Imperial Inca State.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bray, Tamara L.

Series:

William & Bettye Nowlin series in art, history, and culture of the Western Hemisphere.

William and Bettye Nowlin series in art, history, and culture of the Western Hemisphere

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Archaeological assemblages--Andes.

Archaeological assemblages.

Incas--Material culture.

Incas.

Inca pottery--Pictorial works.

Inca pottery.

Inca pottery--Political aspects.

Inca pottery--Social aspects.

Inca pottery--Design.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (229 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2025.

Summary:

"The beautiful polychrome ceramics of the imperial Inca state have long been noted for their uniformity, so much so that it was once said a whole jar could be reconstructed from a single shard. This book is an attempt to move beyond the "seen one, seen 'em all" mentality. There is evidence of mass production, yes, but the widespread distribution of Inca state pottery and the high degree of standardization hint at the importance of this particular category of material culture to the imperial project. Despite that significance, relatively little comparative work has been undertaken. This book shows the variability and rich semiotic content of imperial Inca pots, and in doing so, it advances our understanding of how power and legitimacy are produced and reproduced through the material culture of daily life. Bray takes a comparative, empire-wide approach, making it clear that Inca pottery is not as homogeneous as it is thought to be. Her book works through what constitutes the state style, as well as the parameters and significance of the variability. From there, she takes up the more socially significant questions of where, when, and why deviations from the norm occurred. Focusing on variations in the material assemblages and approaches helps illuminate the strategies of territorial expansion and political control that lay at the heart of the Inca juggernaut, as well as the role of objects in the calculus of would-be rulers and subjects"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

List of repositories where Inca ceramic collections were photo-documented

Introduction

Tawantinsuyu and the antecedents of imperial Inca pottery

The imperial Inca ceramic assemblage

Andean foodways and the Inca ceramic assemblage

Inca pottery production

Elements of imperial design

Interpretive approaches to Inca iconography

Inca ceramics around the empire

Things make the state.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781477330692

1477330690

OCLC:

1484072468