New book explores the impacts of politics and identity on Inca ceramic production

A new book by Professor Tamara Bray, "Objects of Empire: The Ceramic Tradition of the Imperial Inca State" (University of Texas Press), examines how Inca ceramics reinforced imperial rule and shaped political identities.

Moving beyond the pervasive "seen one, seen 'em all" mentality, "Objects of Empire" brings to light the variability and rich semiotic content of imperial Inca vessels. Taking a comparative, empire-wide approach, Bray identifies the parameters and significance of this variability and defines the core elements of the imperial state style. Taking an empire-wide comparative approach, she then investigates where, when, and why differences and deviations from the perceived norm occur.

This study illuminates 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. Based on a unique and extensive database of imperial Inca pottery developed through detailed study of archaeologically recovered and museum-based collections, "Objects of Empire" reveals how power and legitimacy were produced and reproduced under the Inca through the material culture of everyday life.