The face on this beautiful figure captures our attention, with an open mouth giving us a smile. He seems to be laughing at a secret only he knows. The jewelry...
The face on this beautiful figure captures our attention, with an open mouth giving us a smile. He seems to be laughing at a secret only he knows. The jewelry he is adorned with signifies that he was an important figure within his community. The ear ornaments, nose ring, and bracelet that sits on his slender arms decorate his body and give him an extremely jovial attitude. In his right hand he holds either a musical instrument, or a mushroom. In either case, this object was presumably part of a ceremony, and contributes to the disposition of this man. If it is a musical instrument, he may be singing the words to a ritual song; or perhaps he is in the midst of eating this mushroom. He was most likely a shaman, a magic man, an intermediary between our world and the world of the spirits. It is easy to tell this man has an exalted place within this universe from his costuming, and his personality. This magnificent piece powerfully represents this culture's ideals through a strong composition.