
Collection Online as of December 3, 2023
Wood with gold foil
Overall: 12.4 x 3 x 1.1 cm (4 7/8 x 1 3/16 x 7/16 in.)
Sundry Purchase Fund 1996.303
232 Andean
Both of these objects feature a creature known as the "Recuay feline," although it could also refer to a fox, dog, or viscacha (a rodent). Whatever its identity, the prominent crest on its head ties it to the supernatural realm, a connection underlined by the deity head that also appears on the dipper and by the ritual function of snuff tablets, which were used to inhale hallucinogenic snuffs during religious ceremonies.