Figure
Date200 BCE-600 CE
Mediumpottery and paint
DimensionsOverall: 13 7/8 x 6 1/2 x 4 7/8 in. (35.2 x 16.5 x 12.4 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Bischoff
Object number84.0244.09
DescriptionThis large, handsome figure has a complex iconography. The staff he carries could represent an elaborate digging stick and the conical, looped container probably held seeds for a ritual planting ceremony. The appliqued ceramic disks on the ears, the nose ornament and the half crescent under the chin represent hammered gold adornments. The nose ornament is similar to a Calima type from Colombia, datable to the Yotoco phase of the 1st millenium. The small applique heads, symbolic survivors of ancestral headhunting, are worn on top of the head and in a row of three on the necklace.
