Backrest of a Litter
Unknown Artist
1185–1275 (radiocarbon date, 95.4% probability)
Medium
mixed media: wood, gold alloy, pigment, shell inlay
Dimensions
60.4 × 95 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1952.233
About this artwork
This rare, dramatic object served as the back support of a litter carried by human porters, a mode of transport reserved for honored members of many societies without draft animals or wheeled vehicles. The simple, bold figures—perhaps a Chimú lord and four officials—all wear wide collars, tunics, and crescent headdresses that are either brightly painted or covered with golden but now-corroded sheet metal. The holes at the bottom probably served as lashing points for a beam that supported the lit...