Currently not on view
Androgynous figure,
A.D. 800–1200
More Context
Didactics
This unusual figure represents a male with pronounced genitalia and emerging breasts. Among Siberian Chukchi, transgender male shamans were believed to be the most powerful. They were commanded by the <em>ke’let</em> (spirits, sometimes female) to shed all male pursuits and sexual manners at an early age when shamanistic inspiration first manifested itself. Canadian Inuit myth reveals that a transgender shaman created all women. This was directly associated with his ability to straddle the procreative nature of the sexes. A groove, perhaps representing a charm belt, encircles the waist. The shoulder/breast design is typically Punuk in style and could represent beads, tattoos, or clothing decoration.
Information
A.D. 800–1200
North America, United States, Alaska, St. Lawrence Island
-
Ralph T. Coe, <em>Sacred Circles: Two Thousand Years of North American Indian Art </em>(London: Hayward Gallery, 1976)., cat. no. 209 (illus.)
-
"Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1997," in "A Window into Collecting American Folk Art: The Edward Duff Balken Collection at Princeton," special issue, <em>Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University</em> 57, no. 1/2 (1998): p. 164-208., pp. 172–173 (illus.)
-
<em>Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection</em> (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007), 331 (illus.)
Share your feedback with us
The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.
Related Objects
Head of a mechanical doll
,
A.D. 1000–1400 (?)
1997-131
