Anthropomorphic female figure · Peru, Chancay · ID: 3038359
Description
light wood, both hands up to the chin (mourning gesture?), accentuation of the female gender, flat backside, slightly dam., cracks, base;
wooden figurines of Chancay culture mostly depict females. In any case they can be looked upon as “idols”, while their meaning as burial object remains unclear. A function as guardian figure would be possible, substitutional for a female relative for example, but as wearer of ritual important sacrificial textiles as well.
The object Anthropomorphic female figure with the object ID 3038359 was last part of the auction 79th Tribal Art Auction at March 21, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 84.
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Comparing literature
Hoffmann, Ulrich (Hg.), Frauen des alten Amerika in Kult und Alltag, Stuttgart 2001, p. 101