Where is the Quimbaya Poporo?

The poporo is at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá. It's one of the most famous objects in the collection.

What is a poporo for?

A poporo holds lime powder used with coca leaves. The pin dips into the lime, which is then mixed with chewed coca leaves in the mouth.

How big is the poporo?

The gold container stands 23.5 cm (9.3 in) tall. Its elegant proportions make it an icon of pre-Columbian metalwork.

Who were the Quimbaya?

The Quimbaya lived in Colombia's Cauca Valley around 300-1500 CE. They created some of the finest gold work in the ancient Americas.

Where Is Quimbaya Poporo? See It at Museo del Oro

Muisca The Quimbaya Poporo is a gold container for lime powder used in coca leaf consumption, created by the Quimbaya people around 300 CE. The elegant form combines a spherical body with a long neck and delicate pin for extracting the lime. Poporos were prestige objects, and this example's refined design makes it an icon of pre-Columbian gold work.

Coca leaves chewed with lime release stimulants that reduce hunger and fatigue. Throughout the Andes, coca was sacred and ceremonial, not recreational. The elaborate containers holding lime reflected the importance of coca rituals and the status of their owners. Quimbaya goldwork demonstrates outstanding technical mastery, including lost-wax casting and careful alloy control.

The poporo is at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá.

Quimbaya Poporo

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The Artist

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