Ancestor figure

The knife and bottle (imported from Europe) are indications of authority, suggesting that this ancestor figure represents a high-ranking man, most likely a chief. The large feet—note the detailed toes—symbolize stability, while the small shards of white porcelain used for the eyes enhance the figure’s visionary power. Its true power, however, was hidden: the life force of the ancestor, imbued into the figure by inserting tiny remains of his corpse into a cavity near the rectum.