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Spatula with Carved Head
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Peruvian Indians today regard coca leaf as a sacred substance that creates communion with supernatural forces. The leaves are chewed with powdered lime that in antiquity was stored in containers and scooped with spatulas like those seen here. Aside from its ritual meaning, coca has practical benefits: it is vitamin-rich; like coffee, it induces clear-headedness; and it increases stamina. The lizard spatula is Nasca in style; the other is Wari.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSpatula with Carved Head, 500–900. Peru, Wari style (500-900). Bone with shell inlay; overall: 11.2 x 2.6 cm (4 7/16 x 1 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen, 1955.57
