Photographer: Andrea Blumtritt | Rights management: Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 4.0 InternationalLizard-shaped depictions are the most common theme of polychrome pottery from the Pacific region of southern Central America. They occur mainly in the Buenos Aires Policromo (1550-1000d.C.), Altiplano Policromo (1350-800d.C.), Potosí Aplicado (1350-500d.C.), Macaracas Policromo (1100-900d.C.), Conte Policromo (900-700d.C.), Galo Policromo (800-500d.C.) and Carrillo Policromo (800-500d.C.) groups. The inventoried figure adopts an unnatural posture and seems to combine the attributes of various creatures (aligators, iguanas, lizards). Its upside-down crest is particularly reminiscent of the pottery of the Conte and Macaracas Policromo groups (Gran Coclé region). The function of the handle is unknown. It is conceivable that the figure was hung, pinned or pulled onto a textile. Although the object design emphasises the side view, there are also hanger figurines with a frontal perspective (cf. objects IV Ca 32023 and IV Ca 34191) and a top view (cf. object IV Ca 34288). (Künne 2005)
Cataloguing data
Height: 2,9 cm
Depth: 0,8 cm
Width: 2,5 cm