Offering Vessel in the Form of an Alpaca Possibly 1450 - 1532

This offering vessel in the form of an alpaca was made by the Inca people out of dark stone. The process of creating this vessel was probably quite labor-intensive, as the artist would have had to carefully carve the stone to create the desired shape. The alpaca was an important animal to the Inca, as they were used for their wool, meat, and as beasts of burden. This vessel would have been used to offer liquids, perhaps maize beer, to the gods. The alpaca form itself is significant: the animal was deeply integrated into the Inca's economy. This sculpture collapses the distinction between utilitarian and symbolic functions, as the alpaca provided the material basis for the empire. This small but powerful sculpture reminds us that materials, processes, and social context are essential to understanding the full meaning of a work of art.