Zoomorphic Stone Carving

A single lithic element carved on all its faces, producing an infinite variety of forms with animal (zoomorphic) designs. It is the most elaborately detailed piece in the entire tour.

The zoomorphic carving reflects the worldview of the ancestral culture of the Upper Magdalena, where the animal world—especially felines—had a central symbolic presence in spirituality and political power. The face of many sculptures in the region represents the snout of a fierce beast, as appears in the mouths of numerous Upper Magdalena sculptures.