Herb box

This box shaped like a scallop shell was designed to contain herbs used in infusions. At some later date it was adapted to be used as a jewelry or sewing box, as evidenced by the cushioned lining of its interior. It probably came from the Mojos region (Bolivia) or some other settlement in the lowland forests, where artisanal workshops were established and overseen by Jesuit missionaries. Among other arts, native craftspeople learned how to produce finely carved objects made from the region’s hardwoods. In 1832, the traveler D'Orbigny wrote that he “admired their little coffers and boxes, charming works in rosewood”, adding: “one is amazed by the perfection of their work when recalling that all they have for tools are their knives”. These small objects (carved gourds, cigar boxes, small chests) and other larger pieces (coffers, desks, stools) traveled to distant parts of the Andes and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The art historian Mario Buschiazzo has suggested that the jungle motifs (pineapples, papayas, parrots, monkeys) present in the planiform architecture of the highlands were derived from these easily-transported objects. (FS)