Pendant in the Form of a Figure Possibly 400 - 800

This pendant, crafted by the Tiwanaku people, features a figure adorned with potent symbols. Note the circular earrings marked with a cross; they are reminiscent of cosmological diagrams, evoking the sun's cyclical journey and the cosmos’s expansive order. This motif—the circle and cross—resonates across cultures and epochs. Think of the Celtic cross or the sun wheels of Bronze Age Europe. Though geographically distant, these symbols share a common thread, a primal human urge to map the universe and our place within it. Here, in the Andes, it signifies not just astronomical knowledge but divine authority. The figure’s stern gaze and rigid posture exude power. It projects an aura of command engaging us in a timeless dialogue about leadership, spirituality, and the indelible marks cultures leave on our collective psyche.