Well-dressed, important women like this one are depicted fairly often in Recuay art. These women hold a variety of things, ranging from cups that may refer to feasts held on important political occasions to small figures commonly interpreted as children, as here. These and other representations have led scholars to suggest that Recuay women held authority independent of their male partners; their authority may have stemmed in part from involvement in feasting celebrations.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Mother-and-Child? Vessel

Central Andes, North Highlands, Recuay people

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