Central Andes (Peru), Lambayeque (Sicán) people, 10th century-12th century / 900–1100
Head Beaker
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Head Beaker as metalwork (Central Andes (Peru), Lambayeque (Sicán) people, 10th century-12th century · 900–1100).
This drinking vessel holds close to 62 oz of fluid—almost half a gallon!
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as gold, hammered.
The museum's collection notes: Metalworking flourished among the Lambayeque people of Peru’s north coast. Artists made large objects, including containers, in unprecedented numbers; one Lambayeque tomb contained nearly 200 gold or silver beakers. The head on this beaker has been interpreted as the visage of either the culture’s principal deity—its divinity signaled by its feline-like fangs—or the deified founder of the Lambayeque ruling dynasty. It is not known why the head is upright only when the beaker rests on its rim.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHead BeakerOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.