Mo­che – 1000 ye­ars be­fo­re the In­ca

Around 1000 years before the fall of the famous Inca Empire, the northern Peruvian Moche culture (100 - 800 AD) was in its heyday. The little-known culture surprises with high-quality gems made of clay, copper and precious metals. The exhibition in the Museum zu Allergesundheiten Schaffhausen brings together over 220 exhibits from the museum's rich collection, supplemented by high-quality loans from domestic and foreign partner museums. With this exhibition, the fascinating culture of the Moche in German-speaking Switzerland is presented in an exhibition for the first time. The path through the show leads from the predecessor culture of the Cupisnique people through the nature and environment of northern Peru to the successors of the Moche, the Inca. An impressive variety of objects illustrates the impressive artistry of the Moche and their amazing knowledge of pottery and metalworking.

On display are masterful figural vessels and ceramics with exquisite, finely painted decorations, as well as precious pieces made of gold, silver and copper. The objects tell of rituals and ceremonies and provide information about the nature of the political elite and the social position of farmers and women. Attention is also paid to the history of archeology in Peru. At the very beginning, a Swiss researcher, Johann Jakob von Tschudi (1818-1889) from Glarus, also plays a role. His watercolors of Moche objects and Peruvian landscapes provide a colorful and extremely interesting Swiss reference.

Lending institutions include the Ethnological Museum Berlin, the Linden Museum Stuttgart, the Museum der Kulturen Basel, the Museum des Landes Glarus and the Museum Rietberg Zurich.

A comprehensive catalog will be published by Hirmer Verlag in Munich to accompany the exhibition. An international group of specialists and scientists presents all 208 Moche objects from the Ebnöther Collection in this publication. CHF 59.- ISBN 978-3-7774-4127-6