Tunjos (Votive Offering Figurine) (c. 900–1550): Art, History and Details

Tunjos (Votive Offering Figurine) (c. 900–1550) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Unlike the other gold ornaments in this gallery, tunjos were not worn; instead, they served as offerings that were deposited in sacred places, such as lagoons and caves. They often depict humans who hold something-here a container with a head (1947.22), a spear thrower (1947.19), and a bird-tipped (1957.25). The subject must have corresponded to a benefit being asked from the gods. Perhaps because they were not meant for display, tunjos were not finished after lost-wax casting. Flaws remain uncorrected, surfaces are unpolished, and gold that backed into the sprue (pouring channel) was left in place, creating the button-like form at the bottoms of 1947.24 and 1947.17, which were cast upside down.

Object facts

• Title: Tunjos (Votive Offering Figurine)
• Date: c. 900–1550
• Culture: Colombia, Muisca style
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: cast gold
• Dimensions: Overall: 5.6 x 3.1 x 0.9 cm (2 3/16 x 1 1/4 x 3/8 in.)
• Collection: AA - Intermediate Region
• Department: Art of the Americas
• Accession number: 1947.21

Collection credit

In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.