Colombia, Calima region, Yotoco style / c. 1–800 CE
Lime Dipper
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Lime Dipper as metalwork (Colombia, Calima region, Yotoco style · c. 1–800 CE).
Coca-leaf chewing was a widespread ritual in ancient South America. Utensils included a container and a dipper or spoon for powdered lime (made from seashells), added to the coca to enhance its gentle, stimulating effect.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as gold.
The museum's collection notes: Coca-leaf chewing was a widespread ritual in ancient South America. Utensils included a container and a dipper or spoon for powdered lime (made from seashells), added to the coca to enhance its gentle, stimulating effect. Colombian cultures are especially known for transforming these utensils into works of art made of precious metal. The image on the tallest dipper is wonderfully complex. A serpent coils at the bottom, beneath a snarling animal with a huge, vertical tail. This animal has a tiny monkey on its back; the monkey also has a huge tail, which rests on the first animal's head like a headdress. This intricate image was created with th
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtLime DipperOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.