MOCHE: A PERUVIAN COASTAL CONMUNT'n'—GI LUN- 



GS 



zons. Xeither the Cliimu nor the Inca sandals used 

 the tie that is in use in Moche todav. 



Figure 5. — Type of sandal worn in Mociie. 



Space does not permit a thoroughgoing comparison 

 of the distribution of costumes in Peru in order to 

 shed light on the origin of the women's "old costume." 

 Two suggestions may be made in passing. One is 

 that it shows no resemblance to the everyday costume 

 of women during Mochica times, as depicted on the 

 vases, other than the short sleeves and the wide cut 

 of the neck of the blouse ; Mochica women seemed to 

 have been garbed in a one-piece dress of tubular or 

 sacklike characteristics, reaching from shoulders to 

 ankles, with (sometimes) short sleeves above the 

 elbows and a wide neckline. The second is that the 

 Moche skirt is suggestive of those worn in certain 

 parts of the Sierra. 



Babies wear diapers of cotton cloth, dresses, and 

 tight-fitting cotton bonnets of European style. The 

 diaper is a longer piece of cloth than is customary in 

 North America, and, after passing between the in- 

 fant's legs, is wrapped several times tightly about the 

 stomach with the ends tied together in front. 



Toddlers and children up to about 6 years of age 

 (up to school age) are provided with a short shirt or 

 dress and nothing more for everyday wear (pi. 15, 

 upper (left) ) ; pants are not regarded as necessary at 

 this age except for status purposes. Each child in all 

 but the poorest families, however, has a complete out- 

 fit of underpants and suit or dress (according to sex), 

 acquired usually at the time it has its first haircut 

 (if a boy) or when its ears are pierced (if a girl). 

 The child is dressed up in this outfit on subsequent 

 occasions when it may be the center of attention or 

 appear publicly as a representative of its family's 

 status. These children's outfits follow modem North 

 American patterns for the most part. Little boys at 

 this age usually have knee-length shorts. 



Children are fully clothed, except for shoes and 

 stockings, after the age of about 6 years. A con- 

 siderable variety e.xists in their dress, which is gov- 



erned mainly by the finances, taste, shopping ability, 

 and frugality of tlie mother and the availability/of 

 cast-offs. Boys wear shirts usually without tails, 

 long trousers, overalls ; some, but few, wear knee- 

 length shorts. Young girls wear cotton dresses. I 

 have never seen one in a miniature rejilica of the 

 "old costume." 



About the age of puberty the children begin to 

 take more interest in their clothes, as among our- 

 selves, and new-fangled and faddish excrescences 

 appear — shoes, fancy fabrics, an occasional necktie, 

 an occasional felt hat for a boy, etc. 1 have been 

 told that most of these innovations disappear after 

 marriage, although this may not be true of the com- 

 ing generation. 



Ornament for men is practically nil. The short 

 haircut is favored by the majority, although some in- 

 dividuals with enough white ( ?) blood to have curly 

 hair affect a longer cut. Only the minority attempt 

 to maintain a part. My estimate is that the majority 

 of the men do not have sufficient beard to require 

 shaving more than once a week. Most men have 

 shaving instruments, however. The straight razor 

 is rare; this is because of its cost and the difficulty 

 of keeping it honed, according to some informants. 

 The complete safety razor is rare also. Many men 

 shave with the safety razor blade held in the hand 

 (without the holder), while others use a pocket 

 knife. The razor blade is a general utility imple- 

 ment about the Moche household. My impression is, 

 however, that the majority of men with beards of 

 any significance visit a barber shop about once every 

 week on the average. There are four full-time 

 barber shops in town, two of them operated by 

 Japanese, where a steady customer can get shaved 

 for 10 centavos. A haircut is 20 centavos. (The 

 barbers will, of course, charge more if they can get 

 it. The rate in the "first-class" shops in Trujillo, 

 however, is only 20 centavos for a shave and 40 

 centavos for a haircut, all prices as of Jime- 

 November 1944.) Adolescent boys use vaseline and 

 pomades on their hair. 



The distinctive hairdress of the Moche women is 

 apparently disappearing, but is more persistent than 

 the women's old costume in clothes. The hair is 

 parted in the middle and is braided into two strands 

 in back (pi. 16, tipper (right)). Into the ends of 

 these strands are braided homespun yarns of algodon 

 par do (brown cotton) to increase the length of each 

 braid by a few inches. The braids are then crossed 

 over each other and encircle the dome of the head 



