Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chimu or Inca culture, ca. 1000 to 1400 CE. A petite lime container known as a poporo with a pair of monkeys wrestling or holding hands on top. The petite vessel is little over thimble sized, the artisan boring in a circular motion to create the cavity for the lime. From the earliest times, people in the Andes had a tradition of using coca leaves for ritual purposes. They were ingested by placing some of the leaves in the mouth and adding a small quantity of powdered lime, ground from seashells. The poporo was often carved into sacred animals or featured special motifs that gave the vessel its own mystical powers. Size: 1" Diameter x 2.3" H (2.5 cm x 5.8 cm)

Provenance: Private J. Hart Collection, Houston, Texas, USA, acquired mid-1970's

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#167495

  • Condition: Repaired, monkeys reatached. Chips and loss to surface layers and abrasions on exterior.

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July 28, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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