Hunchback Seated on a Stool
Unknown Artist
c. 600–800
Medium
earthenware with colored slips
Dimensions
25 × 19 × 25.1 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1998.115
About this artwork
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.