Snuff Tablet

Description

Both of these objects feature a creature known as the "Recuay feline," although it could also refer to a fox, dog, or viscacha (a rodent). Whatever its identity, the prominent crest on its head ties it to the supernatural realm, a connection underlined by the deity head that also appears on the dipper and by the ritual function of snuff tablets, which were used to inhale hallucinogenic snuffs during religious ceremonies.

Provenance

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Snuff Tablet

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1–650 CE

Accession Number

1996.303

Medium

wood with gold foil

Dimensions

Overall: 12.4 x 3 x 1.1 cm (4 7/8 x 1 3/16 x 7/16 in.)

Classification

Furniture and woodwork

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Sundry Purchase Fund