This finely carved bowl has two frog effigies on its rim. Frogs are prominent in the indigenous art of ancient Colombia and may represent sacred totemic animals associated with rain and water. Living in the northern Andes, at the edges of the Inka Empire, the Tairona were never conquered by their powerful neighbors. Yet their arts reveal strong pan-Andean influences, particularly use of the color red, traces of which are seen here. Red is associated throughout the Andes with power, authority, and the sun.

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian
Ongoing

The National Museum of the American Indian  |  George Gustav Heye Center  |  New York, NY

Press | Credits