Sillar, B; (2016) Miniatures and Animism: The communicative role of Inka carved stone conopa. Journal of Anthropological Research , 72 (4) pp. 408-415. 10.1086/689294.

Preview

Text 689294.pdf Download (659kB) | Preview

Abstract

Andean offerings use miniaturisation and synecdoche to enact connections within a relational animism (where people, places and things participate in an interactive network), allowing the person preparing the offering to make material links between them and more distant, non-human entities. Catholic priests working in the Andes during the Spanish colonial period tried to eradicate these practices within which small objects called conopa were used. Conopa included natural stones and carved stone figurines which were understood to be active agents that helped those who were preparing offering to communicate with animate locals in the landscape. An analysis of Inka and colonial period carved stone conopa in the form of camelids reveals that some of these were produced in an organized system of manufacture under the auspices of the Inka state. This contributes to a discussion of how Andean household rituals have adapted in response to distinct social, economic and political contexts.

Download activity - last month

Export as CSVJSONXML

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as JSONCSVXML

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONCSVXML

Archive Staff Only

View Item