Bird Figure

Description A nearly identical bird form in the British Museum has been classified as a counter weight for an "atlatl," or "throwing stick." This weapon, used widely throughout the Americas, served as a simple extension of the arm, allowing the user to hurl a short spear with greater force. The drilled holes on the underside of the bird form would have been used to attach it to the "atlatl" with twine.

Provenance Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation [John Stokes as agent], March 28, 2006, by purchase [Arte Primitivo, New York, as agent]; Walters Art Museum, 2007, by gift.

Credit Gift of the Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation, 2007