2-723-376 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Backrest of a Litter, 900-1470. This rare, dramatic object served as the back support of a litter carried by human porters, a mode of transport reserved for honored members of many societies without draft animals or wheeled vehicles. The simple, bold figures-perhaps a Chimú lord and four officials-all wear wide collars, tunics, and crescent headdresses that are either brightly painted or covered with golden but now-corroded sheet metal. The holes at the bottom probably served as lashing points for a beam that supported the litter's seat. Susan E. Bergh, PhD, Associate Curator, Art of the Ancient Americas, 2002