This fabulous pendant shows a figure seated on a tongue-shaped appendage. Though the breasts are quite prominent, the body and face appear to be male. He is naked except for...
This fabulous pendant shows a figure seated on a tongue-shaped appendage. Though the breasts are quite prominent, the body and face appear to be male. He is naked except for a thick necklace fashioned in a checkerboard pattern, along with two bracelets on each leg and a chinstrap, all in the same design. The conical hat also has two bands in the checkerboard style, giving it a texture like cloth With both arms extended, he holds a rod on which four bird-like creatures are perched, their tails each dangling with a large plaque. Another plaque bangs from the man's nose, which is grossly elongated. This deformation occurs in other Sinu figure pendants, and probably was done for ritualistic purposes. Lovely coiled earspools complete the fantastic ornamentation. We may be seeing here a representation of an important priest in ritual attire at the height of an important ceremony. It is intriguing to imagine this pendant being worn by the very person it depicts; a sort of mirror image in miniature. Or perhaps it is a revered ancestor. in any case, if the great shamans were interested in immortality, some have at least achieved that elusive goal through the medium of gold; held forever with ail its brilliant magic intact.....trudy