Chemamulles exhibit
Sketch of Chemamulles exhibit
I know this was yesterday, but I can’t get over the Pre-Columbian museum- specifically the Chemamulles exhibit. They are wooden statues that were placed on the tombs in ancient Mapuche burial sites and they represent the spirits of the dead. The sky light from above gave soft, but still strong lighting to the statues that accentuated the details of the figure. The eyes, nose, chin, and breasts in the women especially. The order in which they were placed was smartly done as well. It goes from high to low from, if you’re looking at it, left to right, with hierarchy given to the farthest left figure which is the tallest and has the biggest head. All are male figures except for two, the second and third from the left. This tells the observer that women were also given these carvings to adorn their graves and help them into the afterlife, however they are some of the smallest which may indicate social class. I also thought it was interesting that one is leaning to the right. The display allowed for imperfections which I absolutely love in design. No human is perfect so why should their spirits be any different?
Aside from the subtle inferences one can glean from what is presented, they also have a significant effect on the underground gallery as a whole. As you go from display to display, you are acutely aware of the shadowed eyes following you. I hope for some, the feeling that someone is watching them will encourage them not to use flash when taking photos down there. Although, I believe for most, they act as watchers over what is left of their people in the gallery and reminders that the people who used and wore what we are seeing there, are now dead and these Chemamulles were their grave markers.