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| Keywords: Tairona - Bone Carving of a Shaman-Vulture - Walters 2006151.jpg The carved bone finial likely once graced the head of a ritual staff-like implement of a shaman Finials are a fairly rare class of object among northern South American material culture with gold examples attested among the Sinú and bone ones such as this example among the Tairona Although their exact use and meaning remain unclear the presentation on this example of a grimacing humanoid figure surrounded by three symbolically charged creatures seems to represent a shaman in a drug-induced trance Throughout Middle America vultures are commonly affiliated with the celestial realm; jaguars with the terrestrial realm; and serpents with the watery underworld In this example one creature from each level of the Tairona cosmic conceptualization is positioned in relation to the central shaman- the vulture is perched above his head the serpent between his legs and in lieu of the common jaguar an apparently lizard-like creature is held upside down on the shaman's back The shaman's slightly simian nose and exaggerated grimace mark his altered trace-state; in effect he has achieved a hyper-real 'super'-natural state and thus is prepared to communicate directly with the otherworldly spirit representatives of the earth sky and underworld between 500 1000 bone cm 10 8 accession number 2006 15 1 25655 Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation John Stokes as agent March 14 2006 by purchase Arte Primitivo New York as agent Walters Art Museum Gift of the Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation 2007 place of origin northeast Colombia Walters Art Museum license Pre-Columbian art in the Walters Art Museum Tayrona art Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review Pre-Columbian bone artefacts | ||||
