Cleveland Museum of Art

Llama Figurine

Date

1400–1532

Medium

hammered gold

Culture

Peru, Bolivia, Chile or Ecuador, Inka style (1400-1532)

Department

Art of the Americas

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Precious metal was a major Inka artistic medium, but most was melted down after the conquest to fund the Spanish court. The sole remains are small-scale objects from tombs and offerings. Figurines in gold, like this one, have been found at shrines on sacred mountain peaks, where they accompanied child sacrifices in offerings made during times of crisis, such as famine.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.