A Bahamian ChacmoolThis cheery little beach gnome was discovered on Lee Stocking Island, near the Caribbean Marine Research Center in the Bahamas. He was about three feet tall, carved from a block of sandstone. The local Bahamians practiced Santeria, and my guide thought this was an altar used for animal sacrifices.
Ancient Mesoamerican religions employed similar altars, called chacmool. On festive occasions, the populace would get buzzed on maguey, a kind of beer made from fermented spit. A prisoner was brought forth, and draped over the chacmool. Then a priest, in a jumpsuit made from human skin, cut out his heart with an obsidian dagger.
A Tampa Yard GodThis photo of a Yard God was sent by George Byers and his friend Barbara Lewis. As for its provenance, Barbara volunteers the following:
"...in 1979 i married steve lewis and we went off to australia where he had lived and gotten a degree in anthropology. it was part honeymoon, part shopping trip, as we were embarking on a business
adventure on a shoestring: cultural artifacts. we bought an old holden station wagon and traveled the east coast, crossed to the middle, went s. to adelaide and n. to darwin before returning to sydney... we shipped our purchases along the way. in those days it was considered original art - i think aboriginal art now has national treasure status, and it wouldn't be possible to send the traditional art/artifacts out of the country... that mask is from new guinea, i believe from the sepik river region. it is basketry and mud, mostly, with some remnants of feathers. it might be a tumbuan mask, which is worn during all ceremonial dances, particularly preceding initiation of young men... "
ConfucAs an earnest young street photographer, I thought this store window was fraught with ambiguous spiritual messages and pithy social commentary.
A deity for the new milleniumO Lord, won't you buy me
an Apple iPhone
my Blackberry's busted
please throw me a bone
I'll pray to it daily
as I face Steve Job's home
o Lord, won't you buy me
an Apple iPhone
