Drinking Cup (Kero) with an Abstracted Masked Figure

Art Historical Context

This elegant drinking cup, known as a kero, was crafted by artisans of the Tiwanaku culture in the Andean highlands between 600 and 1000 CE. this period, Tiwanaku emerged as a powerful center of political and religious influence near Lake Titicaca, and such vessels played an important role in ceremonial life. Keros were typically used to serve chicha, a fermented corn beverage, during rituals that reinforced social bonds and spiritual connections. The cup’s compact form and painted decoration reflect the technical skill of Tiwanaku potters, who shaped earthenware by hand and applied mineral pigments to create bold, abstracted designs. The masked figure on its surface likely represents a deity, ancestor, or ritual performer, rendered in the culture’s distinctive geometric style that emphasized symbolic rather than naturalistic forms. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Arts of the Americas collection, this kero offers visitors a glimpse into the rich ceremonial traditions of the pre-Columbian Andes. Its intimate scale and vibrant imagery invite us to imagine the communal gatherings where such objects helped bridge the earthly and sacred worlds.