Description:

Pre-Columbian, Bolivia, Tiahuanaco (Tiwanaku), ca. 400 to 1100 CE. A large, dark wooden kero (also qiru, quero, qero), an Andean drinking vessel made to consume maize-based alcohol called chicha. This example is of the style found at Lake Titicaca. The vessel is conical, flaring out at the mouth, with two raised bands at top and bottom. In relief on the side is a lizard, with its head projecting upward from the rim, as if looking at the drinker. Inlaid into the top of the head is a white shell disc. Vessels like this one were traditionally made in pairs so that people could exchange the beverage ritually. Size: 6.8" W x 9.75" H (17.3 cm x 24.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany, collected from 1950-1960s

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#144572

  • Condition: Weathered crack low on base. Pitting on interior from age. Nice preservation of form with light deposits and some staining from use on interior.

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December 5, 2019 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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