Kero

Containing complex iconography, this kero, or wooden cup, was a crucial element in Inka ceremonies and feasts. Keros were made in pairs for the ritual exchange of chicha, a fermented beverage made from corn. Early cups were incised with abstract geometric designs unrelated to any objects or beings. Following the Spanish conquest, inlaid resinous pigment decorated the keros with colorful pictorial scenes narrating Andean memory. These vessels continue to be produced in and used by Andean communities today.

This kero depicts an Inka queen framed by a rainbow; the surrounding white drops are interpreted as rain. The least represented of all scenes, rainbows signified agricultural concerns on keros and were associated with fertility.