Male Figure with Trophy Head
Dateca. 1000-1550
Mediumbasalt
DimensionsOverall: 22 3/8 x 10 1/8 x 6 3/8 in. (56.8 x 25.7 x 16.2 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of Alfred I. Barton
Object number62.045.003
DescriptionLarge, free-standing, stone sculptures of warriors returning from battle were common in the Atlantic Watershed region during the last centuries before European contact. Increased population pressure made warriors an important part of the success of each chiefdom. This male warrior figure holds an axe in one hand and has a trophy head suspended over his shoulder. Carved from a single block of basalt, this figure may have been displayed prior to burial with an important ancestor. Warriors brought trophy heads back from battle as proof of their success and to enhance their status in the community.
