Weight Representing a Llama
1450–1532
Medium
Limestone
Dimensions
4.6 × 3.3 cm (1 13/16 × 1 5/16 in.)
Classification
measure
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
91771
Art Historical Context
This petite limestone weight, carved to represent a llama, hails from the Inca Empire (ca. 1450–1532), a pinnacle of Andean civilization before the Spanish conquest. Measuring just 4.6 × 3.3 cm, it exemplifies the Incas' masterful stoneworking, transforming a practical tool into a lifelike sculpture. Llamas were vital to Inca life—beasts of burden carrying goods across rugged terrains, sources of wool, meat, and even ritual offerings—making this form both functional and symbolic. As a standardized measure used in bustling markets from Cuzco to Quito, it ensured fair trade in an empire spannin...
About the Artist
Inca
Inca artists, operating anonymously within the vast Inca Empire from approximately 1425 to 1532 CE, were masterful creators whose works symbolized imperial power and unity across the Andes. Thriving in the heart of Cuzco, the empire's capital, these skilled artisans—men and women alike—produced textiles, ceramics, and metalwork that served both practical and ceremonial purposes. Gifted craftspeopl...