Throughout the ancient Americas, hunchbacks were thought to be beloved by the gods. To them were accorded the duties of the shaman, the magic men who acted as intermediaries with the realm of the spirits. The cap worn by this fellow, with its four horn-like protuberances, indicates that he has magic powers. Without relying on anatomical accuracy, the artist has suggested the burden of the hunchback's deformity by turning his body into a pot. The limbs, especially the arms, are rendered with sensitive skill; his costume is delicately incised as if to indicate his exalted rank in society. He seems lost in a trance, as if his spirit has ascended to a higher plane, leaving his body behind.