Mortar with incised geometric design

Unknown

500 BCE–500 CE · Stone · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

500 BCE–500 CE

Medium

Stone

Culture

Condorhuasi-Alamito

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Gift of Claudia Quentin, 2016