Cleveland Museum of Art

Hunchback Seated on a Stool

Date

c. 600–800

Medium

earthenware with colored slips

Culture

Central Panama, Conte Style, c. 600-800

Department

Art of the Americas

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The meanings of hunchbacks is not well-studied in Panamanian art. But to the north, in Mexico and Guatemala, such physical anomalies marked individuals of great spiritual power. A few of this figure’s features suggest that hunchbacks held similar status in Panama: The figure sits upon a four-legged stool, a symbol of authority, and the mythic creatures painted on each side may connect the figure to the supernatural realm.

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