A1300-176
Canopa Or Votive Figure Of An Alpaca
Central Peru
Inca Culture
1400 1500 Ce
Carved Stone
$3495.00
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Alpacas and llamas held a special place in ancient Andean societies. The alpaca in particular was seen as a gift from the fertility goddess Pachamama. Canopas are hand carved votive figures of alpacas made from a fine grained stone, then polished with sand and water. Each one has a hole in its back called a qocha (lagoon), which is a container for offerings made during the haywarisqa ceremony. Symbolically, the canopa represents the cosmology of the native peoples of the high Andes.
