Pair of Beakers Possibly 1450 - 1532

These beakers were fashioned from gold by Inca artists in South America. The Incas were master metalworkers, and they used their skills to create objects of beauty and power for their rulers and religious leaders. These beakers were likely used in ritual ceremonies, perhaps to pour libations to the gods, and metal vessels like these were the preserve of elites. Gold was associated with the sun, the most powerful deity in the Inca pantheon, and the beakers' geometric stepped design may also have had symbolic meaning, possibly representing the terraces of agricultural land that were so important to the Inca economy. Studying the material culture of the Incas helps us understand their social and political systems. Archaeological evidence, historical documents, and ethnographic studies can all shed light on the ways in which these objects were used and understood in their own time. Art becomes a window into a complex and fascinating society.