search advanced search visual search
Lightboxes
Cart
alb3678162

Lime Container (Poporo)

Lime Container (Poporo). Culture: Quimbaya. Dimensions: H. 9 x W. 5 1/4 in. (22.9 x 13.3 cm). Date: 1st-7th century. In Andean South America, there is an indigenous tradition for the ritual use of coca leaves. In Precolumbian times the chief method of using coca was to place a quid of leaves into the mouth and add a small amount of powdered lime, made from calcined seashells. Standard coca-chewing paraphernalia included a small bag for the leaves and a container and a spatula or spoon for the lime. The utensils could be quite elaborate and made of precious materials. Lime containers from Colombia, known as "poporos," were often cast in gold in the form of nude human figures or as flasks incorporating raised nude images on each side. Both figures and flasks exhibit great elegance of conception, manufacture, and finish. The shouldered bottle here, adorned on either side with a female figure, still contains powdered lime.
Share
pinterestPinterest
twitterTwitter
facebookFacebook
emailEmail

Add to another lightbox

Add to another lightbox
add to lightbox print share
Do you already have an account? Sign in
You do not have an account? Register
Buy this image. Select the use:
Loading...
Title: Lime Container (Poporo)
Caption: Lime Container (Poporo). Culture: Quimbaya. Dimensions: H. 9 x W. 5 1/4 in. (22.9 x 13.3 cm). Date: 1st-7th century. In Andean South America, there is an indigenous tradition for the ritual use of coca leaves. In Precolumbian times the chief method of using coca was to place a quid of leaves into the mouth and add a small amount of powdered lime, made from calcined seashells. Standard coca-chewing paraphernalia included a small bag for the leaves and a container and a spatula or spoon for the lime. The utensils could be quite elaborate and made of precious materials. Lime containers from Colombia, known as "poporos," were often cast in gold in the form of nude human figures or as flasks incorporating raised nude images on each side. Both figures and flasks exhibit great elegance of conception, manufacture, and finish. The shouldered bottle here, adorned on either side with a female figure, still contains powdered lime.
Technique/material: GOLD
Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit: Album
Releases: ? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
Rights questions?
Image size: 3276 × 4094 px | 38.4 MB
Print size: 27.7 × 34.7 cm | 1289.8 × 1611.8 in (300 dpi)
Keywords: ARTS OF AFRICA, OCEANIA, AND THE AMERICAS • COLOMBIA • GOLD • LIME • METAL • METAL-CONTAINERS • METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA • SOUTH AMERICA