Seated Hunchback Female Figure
500-800 CE
Precolumbian
4 5/8 x 3 15/16 x 3 7/16 in. (11.8 x 10 x 8.7 cm)
Greater Nicoya artist
Costa Rica
Greater Nicoya Culture Zone; made in Costa Rica
Object Type:
Ceramics
Medium and Support:
Clay, pigments
Credit Line:
Marion Stratton Gould Fund
Accession Number:
1969.99
Location: Currently on view
Made in great multitudes and providing a wealth of detail, small ceramic figures like this one illustrate the prevailing hair, clothing, body piercing and tattooing styles of the day. This female figure, with her hands placed on either side of her belly, draws attention to her ability to bear children. Figures with hunchbacks are common subjects in many Ancient American societies and are often depict individuals with shamanic powers.
[Gallery label text, 2009]