Prisoner Lime Container

This small carved wood figure in the shape of a kneeling prisoner with his hands tied behind his back is a container created to hold powdered lime. Created by a sculptor of the Wari culture and reportedly found on the south coast of Peru, traces of remaining pigment indicate the figure wears a checkerboard tunic, a garment often associated with warriors (see, for example, accession number 2017.674 in the Met’s collection). His helmet or headdress was sculpted in the shape of a feline with barred fangs. Traces of pigment remain from the designs painted on his face, and he is shown with a short, broad nose ornament inserted through the nasal septum. His hair is woven into braids, gathered by a co...