Molding Matter: Technologies of Reproduction in the Precolumbian Americas

Technologies of replication and reproduction are most commonly associated with the industrial advances of the recent past. Yet objects have been produced en masse for thousands of years across the globe, including in the pre-Columbian Americas. Rather than emphasize the economic or political implications of mold-made and stamped objects, however, this session focuses on their cultural implications. Creating iterations of the same object from a shared mold implies an intended distribution beyond that of the individual patron or consumer, suggesting different motivations, contents, and intended uses. How did these processes compare to production of individualized objects that were often intended for a specific client, such as hand-painted ceramic vessels, feather capes, or woven mantels? What does the existence of such technologies suggest about indigenous concepts of an "original" vs. a "copy"? Despite the technological potential for large-scale reproduction, not all mold-made objects were created or distributed in equal quantities. What do differences in the proliferation of these goods indicate about their cultural value and use? Individual papers will examine the cultural significance of diverse objects replicated with molds and stamps in ancient Mesoamerica and South America.