Objects of empire the ceramic tradition of the imperial Inca state / Tamara L. Bray.

Author/creator Bray, Tamara L.
Format Electronic
EditionFirst edition.
Publication InfoAustin : University of Texas Press, 2025.
Descriptionxiv, 211 pages illustrations, maps 29 cm
Supplemental ContentFull text available from Ebook Central - Academic Complete
Subjects

Portion of title Ceramic tradition of the imperial Inca state
Physical mediumillustrations
SeriesWilliam and Bettye Nowlin series in art, history, and culture of the Western Hemisphere
William & Bettye Nowlin series in art, history, and culture of the Western Hemisphere http://id.loc.gov/resources/hubs/b40b0f4a-9118-1133-5a45-422f831c46fe ^A765717
Contents Inca pottery from multiple angles -- Tawantinsuyu and the antecedents of imperial Inca pottery -- The Inca ceramic assemblage -- Andean foodways and Inca pottery -- Inca pottery production -- Elements of imperial design -- Interpretive approaches to Inca iconography -- Inca ceramics around the empire -- Things make the state.
Abstract "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.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 181-206) and index.
Access restrictionAvailable only to authorized users.
Technical detailsMode of access: World Wide Web
Genre/formElectronic books.
LCCN 2024004450
ISBN9781477330685 cloth
ISBNpdf

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