Central Andes, North Coast, Chimú people, late Intermediate period / 1185–1275 (radiocarbon date, 95.4% probability)
Backrest of a Litter
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Backrest of a Litter as sculpture (Central Andes, North Coast, Chimú people, late Intermediate period · 1185–1275 (radiocarbon date, 95.4% probability)).
Cinnabar, a toxic mercuric sulfide, was used to color the red background and faces of the figures.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as mixed media: wood, gold alloy, pigment, shell inlay.
The museum's collection notes: 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 litter's seat.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBackrest of a LitterOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.