Mortar with incised geometric design
This rectangular stone receptacle bears incised stepped, concentric geometric designs with recessed areas on the exterior. The principal shape is a 20-sided cruciform motif known as the ANdean cross, an element common in art from the Andes throughout the Precolumbian period.
The Condorhuasi-Alamito peoples were llama pastoralists in the area that is now the Catamarca province of Argentina. They were skilled artisans in a variety of media, including ceramic, metal, and stone. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Condorhuasi-Alamito peoples maintained extensive long-distance contacts with other regions, including the important site of Tiwanaku, near Lake Titicaca in what is now Bolivia.
The Condorhuasi-Alamito peoples were llama pastoralists in the area that is now the Catamarca province of Argentina. They were skilled artisans in a variety of media, including ceramic, metal, and stone. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Condorhuasi-Alamito peoples maintained extensive long-distance contacts with other regions, including the important site of Tiwanaku, near Lake Titicaca in what is now Bolivia.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mortar with incised geometric design
- Date: 500 BCE–500 CE
- Geography: Argentina, Northwest Argentina
- Culture: Condorhuasi-Alamito
- Medium: Stone
- Dimensions: 3 × 7 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (7.6 × 19.1 × 16.5 cm)
- Classification: Stone-Implements
- Credit Line: Gift of Claudia Quentin, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.734.2
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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Alamito artist(s)
500 BCE–500 CE
Condorhuasi-Alamito artist(s)
500 BCE–500 CE
Condorhuasi-Alamito artist(s)
500 BCE–500 CE
Condorhuasi artist(s)
500 BCE–500 CE
Condorhuasi-Alamito artist(s)
400 BCE–500 CE
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