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Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Hunchback Figure
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
© Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami. All rights reserved.

Hunchback Figure

Artist/Maker (Pacific Coast, Mexico)
Dateca. 300 BCE-300 CE
Mediumpottery and slip paint
DimensionsOverall: 11 x 10 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. (27.9 x 26 x 27.3 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineMuseum purchase through 35th Anniversary Funds
Terms
    Object number86.0208
    DescriptionElegance and exquisite manufacture are qualities that make Colima ceramic vessels attractive to the modern eye. The beautiful finish of this crouching hunchback figure makes it a remarkable example of the Colima tradition. Red slip paint was applied when the piece had air dried, after which it was carefully burnished for hours with a soft stone before finally being fired. The misshapen body of the figure is marked by a prominent hump on the back and a blade-like deformation of both tibia bones. He has a long nose, thin lips and eyes, and pierced ear lobes, and his head is covered by a tightly fitting skull cap. The abdominal muscles, umbilicus, and sexual organs are also depicted. In the West Mexican tradition, hunchbacks were believed to have magical or shamanic powers. They lived apart from the rest of society and were cared for by attendants.
    On View
    Not on view
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