Spatula with Carved Head (500–900): Art, History and Details

Spatula with Carved Head (500–900) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Peruvian Indians today regard coca leaf as a sacred substance that creates communion with supernatural forces. The leaves are chewed with powdered lime that in antiquity was stored in containers and scooped with spatulas like those seen here. Aside from its ritual meaning, coca has practical benefits: it is vitamin-rich; like coffee, it induces clear-headedness; and it increases stamina. The lizard spatula is Nasca in style; the other is Wari.

Object facts

• Title: Spatula with Carved Head
• Date: 500–900
• Culture: Peru, Wari style (500-900)
• Type: Jewelry
• Technique: bone with shell inlay
• Dimensions: Overall: 11.2 x 2.6 cm (4 7/16 x 1 in.)
• Collection: AA - Andes
• Department: Art of the Americas
• Accession number: 1955.57

Collection credit

In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.