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Source Description
Metalworking flourished among the Lambayeque people of Peru’s north coast. Artists made large objects, including containers, in unprecedented numbers; one Lambayeque tomb contained nearly 200 gold or silver beakers. The head on this beaker has been interpreted as the visage of either the culture’s principal deity—its divinity signaled by its feline-like fangs—or the deified founder of the Lambayeque ruling dynasty. It is not known why the head is upright only when the beaker rests on its rim.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
172569
label
Head Beaker
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
172569
contentType
object
title
Head Beaker
description
Metalworking flourished among the Lambayeque people of Peru’s north coast. Artists made large objects, including containers, in unprecedented numbers; one Lambayeque tomb contained nearly 200 gold or silver beakers. The head on this beaker has been interpreted as the visage of either the culture’s principal deity—its divinity signaled by its feline-like fangs—or the deified founder of the Lambayeque ruling dynasty. It is not known why the head is upright only when the beaker rests on its rim.
date
900–1100
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60747059
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 23.5 x 19.8 cm (9 1/4 x 7 13/16 in.)
cul
Central Andes (Peru), Lambayeque (Sicán) people, 10th century-12th century
accession
2015.6
Source extras
tec
gold, hammered
tombstone
Head Beaker, 900–1100. Central Andes (Peru), Lambayeque (Sicán) people, 10th century-12th century. Gold, hammered; overall: 23.5 x 19.8 cm (9 1/4 x 7 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2015.6
collection
AA - Andes
didYouKnow
This drinking vessel holds close to 62 oz of fluid—almost half a gallon!
citations
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Museum Masters: 2016-17 Companion Guide.</em> [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2016.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: P. 83
citation
Bergh, Susan E. “Acquisitions 2015: Pre-Columbian and Native North American Art.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> 56, no. 2 (March/April 2016): 32-33.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 33
citation
Lemonedes, Heather. "Acquisition Highlights.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>58, no. 2 (March/April 2018): 6-7.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: P. 7
creditline
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:50:21.601000
sourceId
172569
dept
Art of the Americas
coll
AA - Andes
med
gold, hammered
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
72c7f65d2f0cb002