Rare Inca Wood Canopa - Mating Llamas

Pre-Columbian, Central Peru, Inca Empire, ca. 1200 to 1532 CE. A rare, well-preserved, hand-carved wood canopa, in the form of two mating camelids, with a round but stable base and hollowed-out interior. There are nice details on the faces and bodies of the camelids including relief mouths. Small wooden vessels like this one are the most common ritual effigies known from the Inca Empire. Typically depicting llamas, alpacas, or other camelids, canopas are often buried in the animals' corrals to protect the herds and symbolically increase their fertility. The cavity on the back of each vessel would have been filled with offerings like coca leaves, maize, or animal fat in order to appease the gods. This example is made from a type of wood called kishuar (kiswar), an ancient, high elevation Peruvian tree, that was also used medicinally by the Inca. Size: 5.75" W x 3.85" H (14.6 cm x 9.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-Leonard Lyle Dees collection, Topeka, Kansas, USA, acquired between 1950 and 1970

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#148157
Condition Report: Intact, with rich patina from age and handling. Light scratching commensurate with age and use.