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Llama Figurine
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Precious metal was a major Inka artistic medium, but most was melted down after the conquest to fund the Spanish court. The sole remains are small-scale objects from tombs and offerings. Figurines in gold, like this one, have been found at shrines on sacred mountain peaks, where they accompanied child sacrifices in offerings made during times of crisis, such as famine.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineLlama Figurine, 1400–1532. Peru, Bolivia, Chile or Ecuador, Inka style (1400-1532). Hammered gold; overall: 5.2 cm (2 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of W. J. Gordon, 1955.374
