Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Middle Cauca / Quimbaya culture, ca. 11th to 12th century CE. A charming hand-built pottery slab figure with thick arms and legs, copper nose ring- with a posture that suggests deep meditative thought. The figure has a minimalist, slab-form body, seated upon a wide posterior- the curved stocky legs creating a tripodal base. The body contains a slightly raised navel and the flat chest 3 drilled cavities / perforations. One hand rests on the knee and the other is raised with the fingers extended, as if holding an item or exalting or evoking the spirits. The broad, rectangular head features slit-form eyes and mouth, 6 drilled perforations lining the brow, and a pierced septum which holds a copper ring. Slab figures like this example were placed with burial offerings in shaft and chamber tombs, perhaps as guardians or companions for the deceased. Size: 10" L x 3.5" W x 11.25" H (25.4 cm x 8.9 cm x 28.6 cm)

Provenance: private Hidden Valley Lake, California, USA collection; ex-Litchfield Auctions, Litchfield Connecticut, USA, May 11th, 2019, Lot# 180

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#170717

Repaired and restored. Leg reattached with infill and visible break line, and 3 fingers on upheld hand are restored with new material. Heavy patina on nose ring. Nice mineral and manganese deposits throughout.