power and prowess to thrive. These characteristics of strength reflect on what was thought of the Staff God, considering he was the main deity of the Chavín, showing his all-encompassing power and rule. The duality of the Raimondi Stele is shown throughout the entire structure. The image is perfectly symmetrical, placing an emphasis on the mirroring and double-imaging shown. Part of understanding the stele is in the looking; the whole structure would have to be turned upside down to see the other image. Because the Staff God is so paramount to the Chavín worldview, the image was made difficult to see to separate those within the community from those outside. The interaction with the stone is not passive, it requires the viewer to become active in the knowing of this deity by either moving their head and body to see the other side, physically lifting the stone to flip the double image, or simply just focusing on the low relief that the stele was carved in to really observe all that is happening in the imagery. The transformation of the stone object reflects the transformation that the viewers of the Raimondi Stele would so often undergo. The duality shown through double meaning and contour rivalry is indicative of the importance of duality in their everyday lives: night and day, rainy and dry season, life and death, etc. See also Stela of the cactus bearer References External links Raimondi Stele Full Image Chavin culture Steles Granite sculptures Peruvian art Pre-Columbian art