Bowl with a Figure Holding a Macaw
Hopi Tribe
1400–1625
Medium
Ceramic and pigment
Dimensions
11.5 × 31.6 × 31 cm (4 9/16 × 12 1/2 × 12 1/4 in.)
Classification
bowl
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
187554
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The bisected design of this bowl interior features a field of paint spatter contrasting with a standing figure holding a macaw in his outstretched hand. The figure depicts a ritualist wearing an embroidered kilt and a pair of feathers in his hair. He is further ornamented with polychrome paint that covers his face, torso, and arms. The red color and long tail feathers of the bird indicate that it is a scarlet macaw, a type of parrot traded from Mexico. These birds were symbolically associated wi...