Inca Kero Ritual Drinking Vessel
Origin: Moquegua, Peru
Height:
Circa: 1650 A.D.
Materials: Wood, polychrome, pigment
Provenance: Private Washington D.C Collection
SOLD
Ritual drinking vessel (kero), with Inca-Spanish colonial decoration. A kero (also spelled qero or quero) is an ancient Incan drinking vessel used to drink liquids like alcohol, or more specifically, chicha. They can be made from wood, ceramics, silver, or gold. They were traditionally used in Andean feasts.
Keros were decorated by first cutting a shallow pattern on the surface of the cup, then filling the pattern with a durable, waterproof mixture of plant resin and pigment such as cinnabar.
They were frequently used as a ceremonial vessels by the Incas in important religious ceremonies. One is generally decorated with lavish, hand-painted, geometric designs that follow the traditional techniques in Písac ceramics. Others, however, may be painted with narrative scenes that could possibly be true historical events. Many times they are solitary, other times they are found together with other types of Peruvian pottery. Kero production reached its peak between 1000 and 1200 CE but continued after European contact. Keros are most commonly found in Moquegua, Peru. The Museo Contisuyo in Moquegua has keros on display.
