Spinning Ritual Disc
2018 © Maxim Tabachnik
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Spinning Ritual Disc

771
This gold-copper alloy disc (c. 1120), from the Nariño highlands of southern Colombia, was used in ceremonial contexts. Suspended by a central cord and spun, it created hypnotic light effects believed to induce altered states of consciousness. Its dual-sided geometric designs—crafted through advanced polishing, oxidizing, and scraping—reflect both technical mastery and symbolic abstraction, reinforcing elite spiritual and political authority.