Hand paintings are depicted in Rock Art around the world. The hand image would have been created in a variety of ways: the artist may have used the hand on the rock as a stencil, spraying paint from the mouth or charcoal powder through a reed; the outline of the hand may have been painted around by brush; or simply painting the hand and then placing it on the rock.What ever the method, and what ever the style of accompanying art, hand paintings are one of the most common elements of rock art.
But what of their meaning? Was this the signature of the artist? Was it the artist, or shaman, touching the the rock surface in order to acknowledge and therefore enter the spirit world? Where there is a spiral incorporated into the motif, as at La Cienega and Three Rivers for example, they may be depictions of healing energy that channels through the hands - the ancient practice of Reiki. Given that the images exist around the world, perhaps there are a variety of meanings.
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