Villacreces, Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Hermitage of Santa Cecilia, Aguilar de Campoo, Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Hermitage of Santa Cecilia, Aguilar de Campoo, Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Coca Castle, Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Lerma, Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Lerma, Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Hermitage of Santo Cristo, Coruña del Conde, Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Hermitage of Santo Cristo, Coruña del Conde, Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Hermitage of Santo Cristo, Coruña del Conde, Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. VIA.

Church of Santa Eufemia de Cozuelos, Olmos de Ojeda, Palencia, Castile and León, Spain.VIA.

vessel

Cultures/periods: Aztec

Findspot: Mexico

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

Part of base of circular vessel, made of stone; with relief carving interior and exterior.

British Museum

vessel; figure; funerary urn

Cultures/periods: Zapotec

Production date: 200 BC - AD 800

Findspot: Oaxaca

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

Pottery offering vessel or funerary urn in the form of a human figure, probably an ancestor, seated cross-legged; funnel-shaped headdress extending over the shoulders; nose ornament; circular earplugs; round the neck a twisted rope with ornamental pendant.

McEwan 2009
Funerary urns representing revered ancestors were buried with deceased rulers in tombs surrounding the central plaza of the Zapotec capital, Monte Alban. The seated figures wear masks and headdresses embodying supernatural forces and beings such as the storm or thunder gods. Some are identified by year signs and name glyphs taken from the 260-day ritual calendar that are displayed on the chest ornament. The tombs were visited repeatedly over many generations as the focus for royal ancestor worship. Offerings of burning incense, fresh blood, chocolate and fermented “pulque” were made to entreat the ancestors to intercede favourably in human affairs.

British Museum

vase

Cultures/periods: Post-Classic

Production date: 900 - 1521

Findspot: Isla de Sacrificios

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

British Museum

vase

Cultures/periods: Colima

Production date: 300 BC - AD 300 

Findspot: Colima

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

Hollow pottery figure representing a dog; slipped.

British Museum

vase; vessel

Cultures/periods: Post-Classic

Findspot: Isla de Sacrificios

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

McEwan 1994, p.32
‘A human emerging from the jaws of a serpentine dragon is a recurring image in Mesoamerican art. Among their many other connotations, snakes were seen as a metaphor for the umbilical cord connecting new life on the earthly plane with the hidden, spiritual sources of creation. Such images, therefore, evoke ancestral connections and call attention to the threshold dividing the human domain from the invisible but ever-present ancestral spirits.’

British Museum

tunjo

Cultures/periods: Muisca

Production date: 600-1600

Findspot: Colombia

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

Vila Llonch 2013
Tunjos, or votive offerings, were placed by Muisca people across their territory, under special landmarks such as rocks and trees, and in caves, rivers and lakes – places believed to be gateways to different worlds. Tunjos usually depict male and female figures, animals, as well as groups and scenes, all providing a window into Muisca life and rituals. Muisca artisans left the figures unpolished, and did not mend mistakes made in the casting process. These were not objects of beauty to be admired, but their imagery and the metal itself were important in communicating with the supernatural.

British Museum

vase; vessel

Cultures/periods: Post-Classic

Production date: 900 - 1521

Findspot: Isla de Sacrificios

Provenience unknown, possibly looted

Vase, vessel (with rattle) made of pottery.

British Museum

Sevilla,belleza y personalidad — España.