A Paracas Painted Mummy Bundle Mask, Ica Valley region, ca. 300-100 B.C.

woven in plain cotton and painted with the full figure of the "Oculate Being", with grinning face with serpents extending from the side and top, and holding a serpent staff in each hand, his torso with x-ray style addorsed birds, birds and felines in the field, and with long continuous fringe extending above. 

Mr. and Mrs. John Tishman, New York, acquired before 1972

The Oculate Being represents a protective spirit which was painted on the facial area of the mummy bundle, with the long fringe originally wound and knotted as hair. This deity figure, while seemingly of a more whimsical form, probably relates to the earlier rigid and intimidating Chavin Staff god. See Lapiner (1976: figs. 173, 174), for other full figure examples.