Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
"Aquilla" (Drinking Cup)
(Ancient Americas )
An elderly person peers at the viewer from the body of this cup, the sides of his mouth flanked by deep furrows and the eyes ringed with wrinkles. These elaborate vessels were used for drinking the corn beverage chicha, particularly in ritual celebrations marking alliances, royal births, or funerary rites. Through their representations of patriarchs, Peruvian silversmiths enabled the ancestors to symbolically take part in these rituals. Sometimes the remains of forebears were physically present as well: caves in which the mummies of deceased rulers were kept were used as venues for elaborate feasts.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
The Merrin Gallery, New York; purchased by a private collection, 1990; given to Walters Art Museum, 2009.
Exhibitions
| 2018 | Crowning Glory: Art of the Americas. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Peru (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Overall: H: 5 15/16 × W: 2 1/2 × L: 2 7/8 in. (15.1 × 6.4 × 7.3 cm)
Credit Line
Anonymous gift, 2009
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.2307