Art - Part 3

Moche Pottery

The Moche lived in northern Peru from about 100 to 800 AD, before the Inca Empire.  Their graves have been excavated by archaeologists.  These graves contained pottery.  What the Moche considered appropriate subjects for their pottery was very different from what we're used to from European art.  Above, this naked man is a tame example.  Now, the Greeks and Romans created a lot of sculptures of nude men, so what's different about Moche pottery?

The Greeks and Romans didn't focus on the penis, but the Moche did, like the spout of this Moche pot.

A drinking vessel.  The upper rim is perforated, so you can't drink from the rim.  You have to drink from the penis spout.

Some pots depicted sex.  What was unacceptable in Western art seems to have been a standard subject for the Moche, like this blowjob.

Another blowjob.

Surprisingly, vaginal sex is almost never depicted, but many of the pots depict anal sex.  Was gay sex another standard subject for the Moche?  Apparently so.

Another pot depicting anal sex.

A pottery figure pleasuring himself with a dildo.  We have to wonder whether public blowjobs, gay sex and dildos were commonplace in Moche society.

Finally, some of the pots depicted dead men masturbating.  Apparently, in Moche religion, after you died you could still jerk off in the afterlife.

We end with another dead man jerking off.  That sounds like a very comforting religion.

Beach Bums - Part 82

Kehena Beach, part 3

We've seen Kehena Beach before, but it's worth another look.  It's located on the south side of the "Big Island" of Hawaii, where I live.  After parking on the road, you have to take a rocky trail (above) that descends a 40-foot seaside cliff to get to the beach.

Here's an overall view of the beach.  It has beautiful black sand, and most of the beachgoers are clothed, as seen above.  Actually, nude beaches are illegal in Hawaii, but officials tolerate nudity on certain beaches, including this one, as long as there's no drug trafficking or sexual activity on the beach.

A nude beach-goer at the base of the cliff that backs the beach.

Some more nude beach-goers.

Sitting on the rocks.

A nice view, perhaps from the trail coming down.

The water is fine.

In fact, spinner dolphins are often seen right off this beach (above).  They have been known to swim up right next to people in the water off the beach.

You may also see sea turtles here.  They love the warmth of the black sand.  If you see one, leave it alone.  All sea turtle species in Hawaii are endangered or threatened, so let them enjoy the beach in their own way.

Gods, Myths and Heroes - Part 79

Bumper Stickers

Some religious people are fond of bumper stickers.  This photo was labeled "Welcome to the Bible Belt."

But the "saved" aren't the only ones with bumper stickers, as seen above.

In religion, there's always room for intolerance.

Then there are bumper stickers for those who are more rational.

Ironically posted on a bumper sticker, because thinking is hard.

This one is more philosophical.  Also note the "Ride Naked" sticker at the top.

This quote is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte.  My friend Rick will no doubt appreciate it.

And if you don't believe what an atheist says, then answer this.

As the Unashamed Male, I have to end with this one.

Income Tax Day

Income Tax Day

Today is Income Tax Day.  But this year, it's also National Banana Day, which falls on the third Wednesday in April.  So we're going to look at a few bananas.

We've previously seen the Banana Race that's part of the Tapati Festival on Easter Island.

A bunch of Dole bananas.

This amusing photo is actually a guy holding a banana.

Has Income Tax Day left you feeling like the government has done this to you?

Well, you took care of your taxes.  Maybe it's time to take care of your banana.

World Naked Bike Ride - Part 88

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Estonian Photos - Part 44

Estonian Photos

We continue our series of photos from the Tartu Ülikooli museum of anthropology in Estonia.

For those who haven't seen my previous posts in this series, a few words of explanation.  The museum provides no information about the men, other than the photos came from the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Tartu.  In particular, it does not say who these men are, or when or why the photos were taken.  However, the photos are labeled "Füüsilise antropoloogia pildistus" (physical anthropology photography).

Who are these men?  My best guess is that they are military recruits.  The very short haircuts suggest that these photos were taken during or shortly after the enlistment process.

Some of the men in this series have dark faces and hands.  Are they are tanned from working outside like farmers, or are they dirty from some dirty occupation?  We don't know.

Note: the dark faces and hands are not as visible in today's post as in some previous posts, but darker hands are visible in some of the side views.  Perhaps the photos in today's post were taken in the winter, when farmers would not be spending as much time outside getting tanned.

When were the photos taken?  My best guess is between World War I and World War II, when Estonia was an independent country with its own military.  Before WWI, Estonia was part of the Russian Empire, and after WWII, Estonia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991.

A clue to the time frame is that these photographs were made on glass plates, not film.  Dry glass-plate photography started in 1871 and began to fall out of use in the 1920s.  I found some references to it in Estonia through the 1930s.

One other clue to the time frame of these photos is that in two previous batches, one of the men is wearing a wristwatch.   Wristwatches were considered to be for ladies before World War I.  (Men used pocket watches.)  However, during the war, wristwatches proved very useful for soldiers and pilots.  After WWI, wristwatches came into fashion for men.

Although wristwatches were evidently rare in Estonia (only two men wore a wristwatch among the hundreds that were photographed), it suggests that these photos are post-World War I.

Since the use of glass plates fell out of use in the 1920s, I think the photos were most likely taken shortly after World War I.

Although these appear to be military recruits, these are probably not military photos.  We know that the museum that currently has the photos got them from the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Tartu.  If these are military photos, why would they end up at the Institute of Anatomy?

I believe the photos were taken by academics doing a study of physical anthropology.  Scientists at the Institute of Anatomy were trying to measure what they considered racial characteristics of the population by measuring the body, including phrenology (measuring the skull), ideas which are now discredited.

I think that the scientists at the Institute of Anatomy may have persuaded the military to let them take photographs of the naked new recruits for "research" purposes.  I have no written evidence to support this idea, but since the photos were at the Institute of Anatomy, and the photo subjects appear to be military recruits, it's now my best guess as to what happened.

One other question that perennially arises from these photos is: why were the men photographed in pairs?  Was it to save film?

The answer is that these photos were made on glass plates, not film, but glass plates were more expensive and involved more labor than film, so yes, it's likely that the men were photographed in pairs to save on glass plates.

So, bottom line: My best guess is that these photos were taken after World War I, the subjects are new or recent Army recruits, and the Estonian military allowed scientists from the Institute of Anatomy to take photos of the naked recruits for a study of physical anthropology.