Artwork Page for Kero (Waisted Cup)

Details / Information for Kero (Waisted Cup)

Kero (Waisted Cup)

after 1550

Peru, Colonial Inka style, 16th century

Medium
wood, inlaid pigments
Measurements
Diameter of mouth: 18.3 x 14.4 cm (7 3/16 x 5 11/16 in.); Overall: 18.3 x 14.4 cm (7 3/16 x 5 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of John Wise 1946.233
Public Domain
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Location
232 Andean
Print

Description

Keros, used to drink the maize beer chicha, were essential items of Inka statecraft. Made and used in pairs, they reflect the important Andean concept of reciprocity. Native use of keros continued in the colonial period, the date of these two examples, which come from separate pairs. The example with geometric motifs is closest to pre-conquest models. On the second, two armies converge: the Inka, dressed in tunics with waistbands, and their opponents, perhaps jungle people whose body parts are heaped in a centerpiece.
A waisted wood vessel flares at the top rim. Three horizontal bands of red, yellow, and cream pigment decorate the dark brown exterior. The top band depicts figures in tunics and feathered headdresses, including a standing warrior holding a long spear and several fallen figures. The middle band contains geometric patterns like stepped diamonds. The bottom band features rows of small, stylized creatures. Worn and faded, the pigments reveal the wood’s dark texture.

Kero (Waisted Cup)

after 1550

Peru, Colonial Inka style, 16th century

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