Peru, Moche Culture, Bone Spatula

Spatula Adorned with a Human Head
Moche Culture, Peru 100-800 AD 
Bone  
Height: 12 cm  

Provenance: Private collection, New York, acquired in the 1990s  

Spatulas like this one were used in coca rituals, believed to facilitate communication with ancestors and spirits from the beyond. A similar bone spatula is held in the British Museum (inv. Am,+.6383).

This example is adorned with a male head, displaying features typical of Moche iconography, such as almond-shaped eyes, a hooked nose, a frontal headband, and a pouch-like hairstyle. These characteristics can be seen on numerous other Moche objects, such as those in the British Museum (inv. Am1962,05.1; inv. Am1930,Foster.9; inv. Am1909,1218.4).