HOmOtgLUS B ORChId MANtIs THIS SCulptURaL STUDy oF the
lIFefOrm KnowN aS coLlOQUIaLLY AS THe ORCHId MANTIs
ExhiBiTs sOMe cuRiOuS HybRId ANd cHimERic BEhaVIoRS THAT
refER boTh To PLanTS aND anImAls NOT mUCh IS KNown of
ITs AnAtomY or BEhavioR bUt THE desiGn Of tHIs scuLptUre
IMPLIeS thAT it seRvED As A KIND OF rELIGiOus objeCT as
well As A FOCuS fOr RItuaL actIViTY antHrOPOLOGIsTS hAvE
surmiSEd THAt IT MIgHt HaVE been uSED iN praCtICES
rELatING to thERIaNtHROpy or ShaPeShIfTING where
IDEnTiTy gEnDeR sPecIes AnD genUS are fLuid In tHE
CoNtExt OF THE ritUAl sPACE wIthoUt OtheR ArtifacTS we
Can oNLY GUESs at thE nAtURe OF ThE SocieTY ThAt CReatEd
thIS ObJeCT aNd how thEiR PEOPle MIghT HAVE lIveD
aRTiFacts FROM THE age Of COLLApSe