Incised Container for Lime with Monkey Stopper
1000–1470
Medium
Gourd with string [and bone stopper]
Dimensions
H.: 6.4 cm (2 1/2 in.)
Classification
fauna/flora/fruit
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
91756
Art Historical Context
This charming incised container for lime, crafted by an artist from the Ica culture in ancient Peru (ca. 1000–1470), exemplifies the ingenuity of pre-Columbian Andean. Fashioned from a dried gourd—a versatile natural material abundant in the region—the vessel stands just 6.4 cm tall, making it perfectly portable. It features intricate incisions, or carved lines, etched into the surface for decoration, paired with a whimsical bone stopper shaped like a monkey and secured by string. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of the Americas collection and classified under fauna, flora, and fr...