A ch’uspa (in Quechua) or huallqepo (in Aymara) is a bag used in the Andes to carry dried coca leaves since at least the beginning of the first millennium CE. When chewed with lime, dried coca leaves are a mild stimulant. In the Andean highlands, it is used to stave off hunger, stimulate the heart and thin the blood in compensation for the lack of oxygen.
How to cite (Chicago style)
Beltrán-Rubio, Laura. “Ch’uspa.” The Fashion and Race Database: Objects That Matter, 30 June 2021. https://fashionandrace.org/database/chuspa/.