Gold backflaps were an important part of the royal costumes of the Moche elite and were worn suspended from the waist, covering the backside.

Backflaps have been found by archaeologists in the tombs of several Warrior-Priests, who wore them as armor during hand-to-hand combat and as a symbol of power during rituals.

Right: A backflap can be seen "in action" in this pottery motif of a Moche Warrior-Priest.

[drawing by Donnan McClelland]

Reconstruction of a Warrior-Priest [front and back], showing the backflap along with the rest of the costume. The elite of Moche society distinguished themselves by wearing fine clothes and elaborate paraphernalia of rank and ritual.

Note how the headdress mirrors the shape of the backflap.

[front view photo by Susan Einstein; back view photo by Christopher Donnan]

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