Bird, The Spirit Messenger

These artifacts are earthenwares from Gaya. Do you see the unique bird-shaped earthenware at the end on your right? The vessel resembles a duck and was buried with the dead in a Gaya tomb.

But why did they bury earthenware ducks in a tomb? If they were supposed to protect the dead, one might presume that sacred animals such as the dragon or the phoenix would have been more appropriate. The people of Gaya, however, believed that birds had a unique power to travel to the next world. Thus, bird-shaped objects buried in a tomb because they were believed to escort the dead safely to the next world.

In ancient Andean culture, birds were also recognized as symbols of heaven. The condor, eagle and owl, in particular, were believed to be close to god. Nocturnal birds were thought to be related to death and the afterlife, and were believed to serve as guides on the journey to the next world.

Let’s look at some of the other earthen wares displayed here. The color and quality of earthenware is dependent upon the firing method. The reddish pottery at the end on the left was fired outside in an underground kiln. The resulting products were soft and brittle when moist, but able to withstand the high temperatures, so these vessels were mostly used as cooking vessels.

We will now learn about the gray pottery that comprises most of this exhibition. Gray pottery was fired in a sealed kiln at higher temperatures. The firing method ensured that the clay particles strongly adhered to one another, resulting in hard, durable products. Preventing the influx of oxygen elevated the iron content and produced the grayish surface color.

As explained here, the earthenware of Gaya evolved due to the advancement of manufacturing techniques.