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Feline Mortar and Pestle
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Size suggests that this Chavín-style mortar and pestle were not used to grind bulky staples like corn, but instead pigments or plant hallucinogens used in religious rites to achieve spiritual insight and communion with cosmic forces. This set may come from Pacopampa, a site in the northern highlands where elites adopted Chavín deities and worshiped them alongside local deities. These small sculptures illustrate the appeal and the spread of Chavín religion.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFeline Mortar and Pestle, 700–1 BCE. Peru, North Highlands, Pacopampa(?), Chavín style (900-200 BCE). Stone, pigment; overall: 5.8 x 11 cm (2 5/16 x 4 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen, 1957.494
