Standing Figure

This small enigmatic figure was probably a prized possession placed in a tomb. It shows a man wearing only a loincloth, with a gentle smile on his face and his hands placed on his chest. Figures of humans engaged in everyday activities are actually quite rare within the corpus of Chavin art, more frequent are supernaturals and people engaged in rituals. It is possible that this figure shows a man under the influence of hallucinogens, like the San Pedro cactus.

One notable detail is that the part in his hair and much of his face and chest have been emphasized by the use of red pigment. This is probably the mercury compound cinnabar, a bright red mineral that had many sources in the Andes region. Both the mines and rocks that came from them were sacred entities (or wak’as) to the Indigenous people of Peru. People cared for the cinnabar by extracting it from underground and grinding it to release its vibrant color. In return, cinnabar helped to preserve mummified remains of ancestors and also had many medical and cosmetic uses for the living.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

The Merrin Gallery, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Private collection, 1991, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 2009, by gift.