Mortar in the form of a feline
Not on view
This zoomorphic mortar is in the shape of a four-legged feline sculpted in the round and with a deep depression on its dorsal side. The head of the feline contains a deeply-incised mouth, rouded eyes, a pronounced nose that connects to a subtle brow ridge, and pointed ears. The curled tail of the feline forms a loop on the rear of the mortar.
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.
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