snuff trays
Hierarchy classification:
Related term/s
Alternative term/s
- snuff tray
- tray, snuff
Anotations
Scope note:
Utensils of Precolumbian South America, most particularly Tiahuanaco culture. These were used for the inhalation of snuff prepared from the leaves, resin, and seeds of plants, most often with psychoactive properties, used to cure ailments, alleviate pain and hunger, to provide alertness, or to induce trances during rituals and religious ceremonies. These appear in the form of small rectangular tablets with shallow depressions for containing and administering the powder. Most of these are made of wood, with few being of stone or bone. Some display figurative carvings or other motifs covering their surface. Evidence suggests that snuff trays were a significant part of Pre-Colombian Tiahuanaco society specifically, though they are found elsewhere.