Peruvian idol showing childbirth
Information on this image, which is part of the Wellcome Library collection, is scant. The archival data from the library states that the object is a Peruvian idol showing childbirth, apparently a type found in burial places. However, the image also occurs on midwifery sites, existing as a representation of the midwifery model of birth as the squatting figure is aided by two figures during the birth process.
The image, which acts as a material way of normalizing the birth process and actual crowning, can aid pregnant women in the visualization of birthing their own babies. The demeanors of the laboring woman and the two birth attendants are serene as the birth takes place. One clearly notes the baby emerging from the mother while she is supported by one attendant, the other attendant calming catching the newborn.