This figural vessel is a masterwork of the Calima Ilama tradition. The beautifully crafted face is wide and serene, with squinting eyes set above fleshy cheeks flanked by realistically modeled ears. As is true for all Calima Ilama human depictions—whether as jars, canasteros, or alcarrazas—the subject is depicted in the nude. The genitalia are sketchily rendered, but the figure’s anatomy as well as the standing (as opposed to kneeling) position suggest it is a man.
It is worth reminding ourselves that shame associated with nudity is a Western concept. Many Amerindian groups had little interest in clothing for the purpose of covering up. Rather, particular accessories—necklaces, belts, even bodypaint—functioned as markers of social identity and personhood or as protective devices and needed to be worn permanently. This certainly seems to apply to the people of the Calima region in the first millennium BCE, as nearly all Ilama-style depictions of people or anthropomorphic beings are shown wearing only a necklace, like here. Its crosshatched bands resemble snakeskin or cloth, and on the chest hangs a large oval pendant.
The extremely large feet undoubtedly help this figure jar to stand upright. However, exaggerated or voluptuous limbs are also a hallmark of the style in which artists of the Calima Ilama period depicted their subjects (see also M.2007.146.8, .328, .363, and .369).
Julia Burtenshaw
2025
