Thursday, March 24, 2022

Totem Telurico, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

You must be absolutely honest and true in the depicting of a totem for meaning is attached to every line. You must be most particular about detail and proportion.”

Emily Carr



Walking from El Morro, the impressive fortification, we spotted this tall totem in a small park known as “Plaza del Quinto Centenario.”  We walked up the steps to the park and found this most unusual totem. This 40 foot totem sits at the highest point of Old San Juan by the entrance to El Morro Fortress and is an interesting work of art done by the artist James Suarez, who was an architect and was also known for his ceramic work. He built this totem of ceramic pieces and black granite in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovering the New World. The totem is a symbol of the Taino (Indian) people whose roots are of American villages and was made from clay that was made from across the Americas.

The plaza where it stands was built for about 10 million dollars. This park is a great place to stop and relax as you make your way around Old San Juan.

Till next time. Bye for now.

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