This powerful, ornate figure summons our
attention immediately. He appears to be a highly
revered shaman or medicine man in society. He
holds a pestle in one hand and a mortar in the
other. The mask is a fierce, soul-penetrating
jaguar head. Above the jaguar head is an
extraordinarily ornate headdress. The designs
indented in this figure are reminiscent of a
jeweler's work, not of a sculptor's. The influence
must have come from the beautiful, extremely
skilled jewelry that was produced during this
time. This figure could easily be considered a
High Renaissance work of art. The designs have
been created with a tremendous amount of
expertise and ingenuity, which could only come
from a refined artist. The ancient artist who
created this masterpiece most probably devoted
his life to art. The magnitude of energy that this
figure exerts is almost frightening. We can only
imagine what this vessel once held. The ancient
world of rituals and rites long forgotten are
embedded in this powerful shaman along with
his shocking beauty and penetrating gaze.
- (PF.3832)
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