Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Objects such as this are known as pulidores, polishers, a name that developed as these stone and clay objects were previously misidentified as being polishing tools. However, their very careful manufacture and lack of wear, quite different from known polishing tools, have led researchers to conclude that another function is more likely. Some experts believe these precisely made objects may have been owned by shamans and used in divination.

Forms of pulidores vary greatly, some include carved designs while others remain plain, and materials vary with stone and clay examples present in the Eskenazi Museum of Art’s collection. All of these objects, no matter how apparently simple, would have taken great time and effort to create