Isotopic composition of lead white pigments on qeros: implications for the chronology and production of Andean ritual drinking vessels during the colonial era

Emily Kaplan,Judith Levinson,Alyson M. Thibodeau,Ellen Pearlstein,Allison N. Curley,Ellen Howe

doi:10.1186/s40494-020-00408-w

Abstract

For millennia, qeros have been a primary component of ceremonially and politically important toasting rituals in the Andes and retain their cultural significance to this day. These wooden drinking vessels underwent a stylistic and technical revolution in the colonial period (1532–1821 AD). Among an array of features that distinguish colonial qeros from their Inka predecessors is the presence of lead white, a pigment that was introduced to the Andes by the Spanish. Here, we present lead (Pb) isotope measurements of lead white pigments from 20 colonial qeros from the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in a private collection. Although most of the vessels are not known to be associated with one another, their lead white pigments fall into three distinct and internally consistent groupings in Pb isotope space. We interpret the isotopic signatures of two of the groups to indicate that the lead white was imported from Europe. We suggest that the largest grouping (comprising pigments sampled from 12 qeros) is decorated with lead white of Andean origin. These isotopic signatures may have a chronological component, and strongly suggest some form of centralization in pigment acquisition, manufacture, and/or distribution in the colonial period.

Highlights

Ceremonial drinking vessels have been produced and used for toasting rituals in the Andes for millennia
Samples We analyzed lead white pigments removed from 20 colonial qeros that currently reside in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), the Brooklyn Museum of Art (BMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA), and in a private collection (Table 1)
The isotopic evidence suggests that over the colonial period, indigenous artists used both lead white imported from Europe and lead white derived from Andean ores

Summary

Introduction

Ceremonial drinking vessels have been produced and used for toasting rituals in the Andes for millennia. Inka and colonial period vessels made of wood used for this purpose are called qeros, a Quechua word that means both cup and wood. These vessels were fabricated and used in. Colonial qeros may combine the Inka-style geometric designs with figural motifs (typically fauna and flora) or human figures [1, 3, 9]. Many colonial vessels are decorated with elaborate pictorial scenes that portray human figures in archaic imperial Inka dress, sometimes in combination with figures in attire signifying certain ethnic groups from Inka times or in European clothing. The designs of colonial qeros signify both the rapidly changing social dynamics of the colonial period and the persistence of Inka traditions and identities amid these changes

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