BTS Daily Chile⁷ explained that the sculptures Namjoon shared in an Instagram story were chemamüll, figures of Mapuche culture displayed at the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, in the historic center of Santiago. The account described the museum as an institution dedicated to preserving, researching, and disseminating the artistic and cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of America. It added that its permanent exhibition "Chile before Chile" addresses the history, beliefs, art, and ways of life of the indigenous peoples of the Chilean territory. According to the post, the term "pre-Columbian" refers to the period prior to Christopher Columbus's arrival in America in 1492, although the museum also presents indigenous cultures that still exist. BTS Daily Chile⁷ noted that the Mapuche people have a historical presence concentrated in south-central Chile and in territories of present-day Argentina, and that their name means "people of the land" in Mapudungun. It also emphasized that Mapuche communities keep their identity, traditions, and knowledge alive. The account indicated that chemamüll means "people of wood" and that these anthropomorphic sculptures were traditionally carved from a single piece of pellín oak or laurel. According to its explanation, they were placed on graves in ancestral cemeteries called eltun and were linked to the representation of the deceased and the Mapuche beliefs about death and the afterlife. https://t.co/3SbJljoKc5 #CulturaMapuche #ArtePrecolombino #MuseumSantiago (translated)
Open on X