Loading

Figure in a Litter

500-900 (Thermoluminescence date, 590-1090)

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Whether a deity, ancestral mummy, or masked human, this figure signals power. The divided eyes and fangs are traits of supernatural beings. The hands are cupped around holes that once perhaps held staffs, symbols of human and divine authority. And the litter was a mode of travel reserved for those of high station; the knobs refer to poles that rested on the shoulders of human bearers.

Show lessRead more
Download this artwork (provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: Figure in a Litter
  • Date Created: 500-900 (Thermoluminescence date, 590-1090)
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 26.3 x 21.6 x 24.8 cm (10 3/8 x 8 1/2 x 9 3/4 in.)
  • Type: Ceramic
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1997.1
  • Medium: earthenware with colored slips
  • Department: Art of the Americas
  • Culture: Wari (Pachacamac) style, Middle Horizon, Epoch 2
  • Credit Line: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
  • Collection: AA - Andes
  • Accession Number: 1997.1
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites