Standing, Remojadas-style, male figure, probably representing a warrior, with hands clasping what looks like a cup in front of his body. The figure's upper arms are adorned with spheres of clay that may represent scarification or another type of body adornment. He wears an elaborate headdress with chinstrap, hollow ear spools, a nose bar, wide necklace, arm bands, loincloth, and sandals. His face and body are covered with black pigment, which is a complex mixture of plant saps, resins, crushed plants, asphalt, and black soot (carbon), frequently used by Veracruz artists to embellish their sculptures. Condition: good.

A. Augustus Healy Fund

A. Augustus Healy Fund

Gift of Mrs. Eugene Schaefer

Among the Tukano of the northwestern Amazon, stories abound of visits to the animal world, of people turning into animals to learn about their habits, and of animals teaching men how to utilize certain resources. Shamanic knowledge contains detailed descriptions of these encounters, and many shamans, or payés, claim to have acquired wisdom from animals that revealed an unexpected food source or a cure for illness. This necklace with finely carved animal and human figurines may have been worn by a payé to acknowledge this relationship.


Entre los Tukano del Noreste Amazónico, abundan las historias de visitas al mundo animal, de gente que se convierte en animales para aprender sus hábitos, y de animales enseñando a los hombres cómo utilizar ciertos recursos. El conocimiento chamánico contiene descripciones detalladas de estos encuentros, y muchos chamanes, o payés, dicen haber adquirido sabiduría de los animales para encontrar comida en algún lugar inesperado, o curas para enfermedades. Este collar con figurillas humanas y animales finamente talladas puede haber sido usado por un payé en reconocimiento de esta relación.

Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund

Museum Expedition 1908, Museum Collection Fund

This is one of a pair of wolf (?) masks (see 08.491.8905b). Both are constructed of wood pieces nailed together to make flat sided, flat ended forms with painted faces. The two masks generally resemble each other; however, there are construction differences between them and the painted forms on each mask differ. Both have openwork frets along the top and cut out teeth. Remnants of cedar bark hair are inside the top frets on each mask. Both have ovoid eyes; however, one mask's eye area is infilled with black dots and the other's has solid red infill. A long, thick curved eyebrow arches over each eye on both masks; however, nostrils differ: one has nostrils with black over red painted geometric forms; the other has black painted swirled nostrils. There is uncertainty whether the pair represent wolves or serpents. They might be serpents for if the objects were wolves, they most likely would have no ears. The object (08.491.8905a) appears to be structurally stable except for the fabric attached at the front under the jaw. Also, the split cane bundles that represent fur (?) are dried and brittle. The proper left side of the mask appears to have been repainted. The mask is properly worn on the top of the head with the face forward.

These 10 clay balls are from Basket (08.491.8612) This set, made from materials found and growing around Clear Lake was used by hunters in balsa boats for killing waterfowl. The birds would have been secured by throwing stones with a sling or snared. The basket with the clay balls was commissioned by Stewart Culin. Almost all of these are similar to this, fairly coarse and quickly woven. The basket is filled with shredded tule and the balls are laid out on this when stored in the canoe. While the balls are not fired in a kiln there is some plant matter mixed with the clay and they are sun baked. (see also 06.331,8213 for sling)

The object is a coiled rectangular burden basket that tapers toward the base. It is decorated with animal forms and geometric designs in natural blonde and dyed red plant fiber. Under the zigzag design panel at the top of the basket, a reinforcing wood strip is partially broken with a section of approximately six inches missing. The broken ends of the strip were secured to the basket with linen thread by conservation. A buckskin handle or carrying strap is attached to one side of the basket. The handle on the other side was broken off and is missing with nothing but two end loops of skin remaining. The overall condition of the object is fair and stable. Some of the coiled ribs are abraded.