Torcorá is the snake that, it is said, roams the Ciénaga de la Sierpe in the Mojana region of Colombia: an inland delta filled with marshes where important rivers of Colombia converge, such as the Cauca and Magdalena. Torcorá the snake sleeps on the totumo tree made in gold, guarding this treasure that no one can touch.
This work is inspired by a snake-shaped headband made of hammered and embossed gold made 2,000 years ago in the period between the years 100 BC and 400 CE. This artifact was found in the valley of the Cauca river in present-day Colombia and is currently exhibited at the Gold Museum in Bogota. A representation of this sacred object is printed on the upper right corner of this painting.
