A dignified figure is accompanied by a llama, the
principal beast of burden in the ancient Andes.
The man's elaborate costume is depicted in vivid
detail. He carries a rectangular shield, which
suggests that he is a warrior, but the owl motif
that crowns his headdress is often associated
with shamanism and magic. Clearly he is a
person of high rank, perhaps one of the prist-
kings who governed ancient Peru. The Llama
that accompanies him may be intended as a gift
for the person in whose tomb this sculpture was
buried so long ago. Though boldly abstract in
design, such a piece links us in an intimate way
with distant human lives, exotic and yet familiar
all at once.
- (PF.1865)
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