Shamans, Supernaturals & Animal Spirits: Mythic Figures From the Ancient Andes

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Votive Sculpture
Water Bird (Duck?)
Chancay culture
AD 1300-1476?
Applied feathers, cotton, balsa wood
4" long
This exquisite naturalistic depiction of a waterfowl reflects the
mythic and sacred status of birds in pre-Columbian culture and
their association with the ocean and its patron deities, especially for
coastal societies.
The black crown and nape, the rusty plumage on the back and the
blue marking on the bill suggest a kind of duck. And while the
turquoise blue feathers applied to the chest may not come from the
actual bird being represented (but from a tanager, Amazonian parrot
or other colorful species), they endow the object with extraordinary
luminosity.
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