Tairona Sculpture of a Seated Woman Holding a Bowl, 900 CE - 1550 CE
Terracotta
8 x 14.5
PF.4270
Further images
The mere presence of this figure emanates an uncanny sense of importance, power and royalty. The spectator’s eyes are quick to focus on the timeless expression that is given off...
The mere presence of this figure emanates an uncanny sense of importance, power and royalty. The spectator’s eyes are quick to focus on the timeless expression that is given off as if just before taking the magical drink. One is also confronting her entirety that demands absolute attention and respect as it is elevated by a throne. More interestingly, she is very careful to maintain her position and not to come down to our realm. In the modeling of this figure, the artist has very consciously refined all her contours and contrasted them completely with an ornate headdress, possibly a crown of some sort, to further emphasize her stature. At the same time, one is also quick to notice that she is unclothed and rather heavy, possibly denoting her as a royal fertility figure. Nevertheless, she is undoubtedly a unique masterpiece of the Tairona culture of Ancient Columbia.
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