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Man and Llama Vessel. Northern Highlands, Peru. Recuay artist, 1–650. Ceramic, pigments, 9 5/16 x 8 1/16 x 3 15/16 in. (23.7 x 20.5 x 10 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Leo E. Fleischman, 45.175.3
Llamas and alpacas have been the lifeblood of highland peoples since ancient times, providing fiber for clothing, hides for shelter and blankets, dung for fertilizer and fuel, and meat for sustenance. Llamas also continue to be used as pack animals and ritual offerings.
The importance of llamas is evident in this vessel, which may represent a shaman, or ritual specialist, taking a llama or alpaca to be sacrificed to Pachamama ("Mother Earth") or to the mountain spirits. Such ceremonies occur today during the planting and harvesting of crops in order to encourage a fertile season. The shaman, shown in an elaborate headdress and finely woven tunic, holds an ornate panpipe, or antara, whose sound imitates the animal's cries.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum