Chancay Standing Female Figure

 This Chancay clay sculpture was created around the 12th-14th centuries and is a perfect example of how art can give us an in-depth connection to a culture that longer exists.  The Chancay people lived on the central coast of Peru, and were a community of artists that  weaved , created sculptures out  of fine cloth, as well as ceramic sculptures that have a  distinctive kind of style. This particular sculpture of a female stands a little over 18 inches in height.  The surface of this sculpture was painted with a white slip then painted over again with brown-blackish slip designs. She has an abstracted body which is distinguished by her large head, wide torso, and long, sizable legs with huge feet that help to hold her upright. The small arms are relatively flat, with a bend at the elbow and spoon like hands. Her facial features are small in comparison to her head, she also has oval shaped eyes with a decorative pattern on either side and a sharp triangular nose. She also has a decorative pattern across her chin that kind of hides her small mouth. The patterns on her head and face are made up of many different lines with depths

The designs on this Chancay Standing Female Figure, 1200 - 1450, ceramic, 18 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 5 inches (Michael C. Carlos Museum)

Chancay Standing Female Figure, 1200–1450, ceramic, 18 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 5 inches (Michael C. Carlos Museum)



Chancay female sculpture’s body can be compared to that of a whale shark. This might be because she could be a member of a clan linked to the whale shark, perhaps declaring it as their ancestor. Also the whale shark is known for producing an abundant amount of pups during their lifetime, linking them to fertility, which might have been why this statue was created.


Comments

  1. Justin DwinellNovember 15, 2020 at 10:03 AM

    Hello Emerald,

    I truly enjoyed reading your post about the Chancay sculptures. I liked how you explained to us how the art from this culture helps explain to us what it was like being that they are no longer around. I also thought the description of detail that you provided was very insightful and helpful for us, as a reader, to appreciate the piece on a level that it needs to be appreciated on. Thank you for sharing, it was well written.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Madison CunninghamNovember 16, 2020 at 3:41 PM

    Hey Emerald! I found it to be super interesting that you compared the figure to a whale shark. Portraying your ancestors as the animal they represented is still super common in certain areas.

    ReplyDelete

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