Statues of gold, silver, or rare spondylus (a type of oyster) shells were often buried with Inca human sacrifices. The figurines may have been offerings to the gods, small icons of the sacrificial victims, or guides to the afterworld.

With the exception of their feathered headdresses, the statues were usually dressed in the same manner as the bodies they accompanied. The tightly woven threads in the textiles were dyed using vegetables and minerals.