Tunjos (Votive Offering Figurine)
Unknown Artist
c. 900–1550
Medium
cast gold
Dimensions
10.3 × 2.7 × 0.8 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the Hanna Fund
Accession Number
1957.25
About this artwork
Unlike the other gold ornaments made in the isthmian region, tunjos were not worn; instead, they served as offerings that were deposited in sacred places such as lagoons and caves. They often depict humans who hold something. Perhaps because they were not meant for display, tunjos were not finished after lost-wax casting. Flaws remain uncorrected, surfaces are unpolished, and gold that backed into the channel used to pour the molten metal into the mold was left in place.