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Object Label

The kero cup form originates with the Inca. The original decorations included abstract geometric patterns. After the arrival of Europeans, the kero evolved to include pictorial scenes, a European convention, but its function remained the same. Kero cups were used to drink chichi (maize beer) in ritual ceremonies, for instance in the sealing of a deal or agreement.

Although the kero looks similar to a European or North American colonial beaker, the two forms developed independently. The similarity of both cups in form and function created a link between Spanish and native cultures, reflecting the role of things in building cultural connections.

Caption

Quechua. Qero Cup, 16th – 17th century. Wood; lacquered, 7 3/8 x 6 15/16in. (18.7 x 17.6cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund, 41.1275.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 41.1275.5_SL3.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Culture

Quechua

Title

Qero Cup

Date

16th – 17th century

Period

Colonial Period

Medium

Wood; lacquered

Classification

Vessel

Dimensions

7 3/8 x 6 15/16in. (18.7 x 17.6cm)

Credit Line

Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund

Accession Number

41.1275.5

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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