Basalt Standing Musician Figure, 500 CE - 1200 CE
Basalt
22.5
PF.4734
When considering that stone statues were interred in elite tombs, one is reminded of the ancient Egyptians, whose nobility wished to take into the next world members of their households...
When considering that stone statues were interred in elite tombs, one is reminded of the ancient Egyptians, whose nobility wished to take into the next world members of their households who gave them pleasure in this world; such as musicians. This very handsome fellow is holding two calabashes that would have been hollowed out and filled with seeds or pebbles. He seems as if he is making an appearance on a festive occasion. Ritual scarification or tattooing is seen on his arms in a triangular pattern similar to that on the front part of his belt. His peaked cap is typical of the genre and carved in such a manner it appears quite soft. Body ornamentation continues in a lovely curlicue pattern on his upper thighs. The fact he is naked is also common among stone figures and is probably the way musicians and others appeared at ceremonies. His expression is very intense, as if he is concentrating on the music or waiting for his cue. In a sense he stands as a sentinel, held in darkness for centuries waiting to emerge once again into the light, to play his music through the medium of a talented sculptor.