Ritual Cache

1300–1400

Discovered hidden in a remote cave, this cache of ritual figures comes from the Salado culture, which flourished in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona between the 14th and 15th centuries. Brilliantly colored and adorned with flicker feathers and dyed cotton string, these effigies once formed an altar as agents for communion with the life-giving spirits of the earth and sky.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Salado branch of the Mogollon New Mexico, United States

Date

1300–1400

Medium

Wood, stone, plant fibers, cotton, feathers, hide, and pigment

Dimensions

Male figure: H.: 64 cm (25 1/4 in.); Female figure: H.: 36 cm (14 3/16 in.)

Origin

New Mexico

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment