The wooden Keru vessel is an object that comes from the Inca empire with features of a small modern cup. A group of Incas that belong to the Kerukamayoq tribe were the ones responsible for the creation the Keru. The Incas would use most of their vessels for feasting, whether it was to cook food or to brew corn beer also known as asua. However, the Keru vessel was slightly different. Although some believed that the primary function of the Inca Keru vessel was used to hold asua and drink out of them during ceremonies The Inca Kerus were made of wood, ceramic, or metals, depicting the status of the drinker, and contained geometric figures and designs on the outer surface that promoted religious, social, or political symbolism providing an insight of the Inca Empire.
First and foremost, the Kerukamayoq’s were consider a specialist group of artisans that focused on the production of Inca art. The Kerukamayoq’s were also known to be the most intelligent group of the Incan culture which explains why they were exempted from farming and focused on the development of Incan art. These indigenous artisans were the only ones allowed to produce the Kerus, everyone else within the Inca’s were restricted to Keru production. Keru’s were produced in the Viceroyalty of Peru after the Spanish conquest in the 1500s. Furthermore, each Keru was made with geometric figures and designs containing information about the owner who owned the Keru. Although it still remains a mystery what the information refers too, researchers believe that these designs “refer to religious beliefs or traditions about the owners”.
In addition, the word “Keru” defines a wooden cup. This is the most common type of material that Kerus were made of. However, there are Kerus that were mad of ceramics or metals like gold and silver. Since wood was a common material of which Kerus were made, Kerus made of ceramics or metals were rare. The type of material usually depicted the status of the drinker. It was typical for rulers or nobles to have Kerus made of metals that came from the Andes Mountains. The Andes Moutains were known to be in rich in minerals and most Incan people would travel to them in search of materials to not only make Kerus for their rulers but also jewelry, artifacts, and decorations. In addition, kerus were also made in pairs, varying in sizes. Since Kerus were essential during ceremonies or rituals, the person higher in rank would receive the larger Keru while the smaller one was given to the person with the lower rank. Usually, it was the ruler who got the larger Keru and the common people who received the smaller Keru which represented a social separation among the Inca. Moreover, it was a symbolic representation of social exchanges. To better illustrate, this meant that the rulers would provide their people with asua and food while the people provided the ruler with taxes and loyalty. According to an article, titled “Kerus: Inca Wooden Cups” by S. Linne states “It is noteworthy that on these occasions two cups are always used”. This quote demonstrates that the use of two cups during rituals among Incans was traditional! Also, the Keru’s made of wood also gave a time reference of when they were made. For example, in the same article it states that wooden cups were distinguishable from pre-Spanish times than those made during colonial periods. The Kerus made during colonial periods had more information about the Incas and new symbols through geometric figures like animals and human like figures representing the Inca.
To reiterate, the Inka wooden cups portray the status of the owner depending on the designs crafted on the cup. Also, the decorations on the Incan Kerus transformed over time. Kerus initially were decorated with just geometric figures like rhombus, triangles, squares, and rectangles. However, after some time the decorations became more vivid and included visual representations of images. According to the “Chronology of Inca Wooden Cups”, John Howland Rowe states how the wooden kerus had depictions of exotically dressed figures, vivid designs, and even plants and animals on them. Although the Keru inside the AD&A museum was old and appeared rusty, there were visible geometric designs on them. Also, the Keru was relatively small so the designs were difficult to distinguish and though the designs were fading, there were figures that appeared like triangles but also resembled a bird. From my perspective, this bird on the Keru was a visual representation of their national bird, the Incan Wren but also could have been a condor. Nevertheless, representations of birds within Incan Art typically signifies strength and dominance. This integration of birds in the Inca Wooden Keru can perceive the owner to be a powerful person or moreover, highlight their authority as a ruler. Furthermore, the geometric designs usually represented the balanced dichotomy within the Inca culture. This means that there was a representation of both males and females. For example, in one Keru seen in the article by Linne, it shows the male figures with shirts known as tunics and the women figures were seen with dresses. As you can see, the designs or decorations on the Keru all represented different things however gave us an insight about the Inca culture. By using geometric figures, animals, and flowers the Incans were able to portray their lifestyle. Moreover, the decorations on the cups were also useful in identifying stories that depict Incan life.
What exactly did they use the wooden Keru’s for? The wooden Keru’s were known to be present during times of rituals and ceremonies. According to the article by Linne, Inca Kerus were used during these special events to establish religious, social, or political relations. For instance, since the Kerus were usually made in pairs each Keru was given to two different people. This usually entailed either figures of power with someone else with power or even a common person and a powerful person. To illustrate, during a ritual between an Inca ruler and a soon to be ally, the Inca ruler would share his Asua with the future ally as a sign of agreement. Through the use of Kerus, the two Andean rulers were coming together as a pair, forming a new pact. Furthermore, Kerus were also used for religious purposes. In an image from the article “Heads of State: Icons, Power, and Politics in the Ancient and Modern Andes” it depicts an Inca ruler toasting to the sun god. By this, it is obvious that Kerus were sacred objects that carried a lot of symbolism with them. For instance, most religions utilize objects like the Kerus for sacred purposes to portray acts of blessings. The toast towards their sun god can symbolize a blessing as well or a simple act of respect for their God. Moreover, the Kerus carried Chicha inside them which was an important offering in Andean culture. Since farming was a big part of the Incas, they would offer Chicha in the Kerus to their God in return of a successful harvest season. In essence, Kerus were a powerful object for the Incas. The Incas did not use Kerus as ordinary cups instead these cups were considered valuable for the Inca culture. Kerus were also known to be used for human sacrifices in return of a blessing from their God. Kerus, before the Incas, were used to consume Chicha then were radicalized into an onject of importance to the Incas and was known as a sacred object by others.
The iconography of the Kerus is one of the most important things about the object. Despite the Incas lack of writing system, many art historians were able to infer what the imagery within the Kerus meant due to the fact that they believed their were hidden meanings behind the images in Kerus. The first thing they noticed was that the Incans divided the Keru into three layers. Each layer contained different incisions that resembled different things. For example, in one of the Keru’s found by art historians they noticed that on the bottom layer there were flowers. They defined these flowers as Andean flowers which pertained to Inca elite status. Furthermore, in the second layer they noticed that there was a male figure depicting the Sapa Inca and his wife the Coya. The Sapa Inca was the emperor of the Inca empire. Since there was figures depicting two genders as a pair, the images portrayed the duality of opposites within the Inca Empire. This was significant because the images gave an insight on their lifestyle. Moreover, they noticed a rainbow on top of the Sapa Inca and his wife. This rainbow also had circles that characterized rain drops coming down from the rainbow. The raindrops were symbols of fertility falling on top of the male and female figures. This was symbolic because it demonstrates how fertility was a vital good in Inca culture. Also, the Sapa Inca is also holding a shield and a spear. The integration of these two objects show the Sapa Inca as a warrior and also it can symbolize battles. The Incas Lastly, art historians noticed geometric figures which are known as tocapu designs. These tocapu designs were not only found in Kerus, but in other textiles that belonged to the Incas. The tocapu designs typically symbolized Inca Nobility. The imagery behind the incisions gave a visual representation of the Incas and their time. Not only did the Keru’s glorify the everyday life of Inca, they also showed religious and political affairs, as well as their military power.
Ultimately, the Kerus had a lot of significance for the Incas. Because of their value, the Catholic church and its followers tried getting rid of the Kerus during the Spanish conquest because they viewed them as a threat. In order to gain power and assure that power, they destroyed as many Kerus that they were able to find in Inca territory. Most kerus made out of metals or cremaics were burned but the Keru vessels made out of wood survived. The very little remainder of Kerus were given to Museums across the world and the one attached at the end is one of the few who remains in good shape. This Keru is found in a museum in New York and art historians utilize this one to tell us more about the Inca culture.
In conclusion, the wooden Inca Keru was one of the most fascinating objects found from the Incas. Despite the fact that they had no writing system, the Incas were so intelligent they were able to tell us about their society through their art. It is no surprise that a simple object in cup form can tell us so much about the Incas. Based off the Keru and other similar vessels, it is obvious that the Incas knew how to give an insight of their world. The Kerus serve as a guide depicting Inca characteristics that in the long run were discovered. In my opinion, I believe the Incas wanted people, like art historians, to crack their code and portray the Inca empire through art.