Male Figurine
Unknown Artist
1400–1532
Medium
hammered gold
Dimensions
6.4 × 2.3 × 1.5 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1945.31
About this artwork
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 like this have been found at shrines on sacred mountain peaks, where they accompanied child sacrifices in offerings made during times of crisis, such as famine.