Wooden mug "kero, 16th / 17th century AD · Peru, Inca · ID: 3050220
not available anymore
Provenance
Gerhard Asche (1933-2022), Billigheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (vor 1968)Size
H: 20 cm
D: 18,5 / 19 cm
H: 7.9 inch
D: 18,5 / 7.5 inch
Description
sticky “sweating” patina, old native repair with silver inlay
Tumbler-shaped drinking vessels “kero” were used in Peru to consume chicha (corn beer) for hundreds of years before the Inca came to power. During Inca times, they were made and used in pairs since custom required that two individuals drink together.
To consolidate the relationship between local communities and the Inca state, toasts were exchanged during ceremonial occasions and pairs of keros, often together with fine textiles, were given to provincial leaders as a sign of Inca generosity.