Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Jamacoaque (Jama Coaque) culture, ca. 500 CE. A charming hand-built pottery female figure, standing upright with arms extended from her sides and palms facing outward with nicely defined fingers. While her small breasts are revealed, she is otherwise dressed in a long skirt and an elaborate headdress with long lappets at either side. Her face is delineated with stylized features, and she is bedecked with a broad collar necklace, a corded pendant, large earrings, and a nose ornament. The surface retains traces of the bright pigments that once adorned this figure; blue and beige create a checkered pattern on her skirt and highlight her headdress. There is a blow hole and a sound hole on the verso (top and bottom respectively) which still create sound. A wonderful example! Size: 6" W x 10.75" H (15.2 cm x 27.3 cm)

The Jama Coaque culture, named for the towns of Jama and Coaque of the Pacific coast of Ecuador, is known for its pottery, especially large human-shaped molded statues adorned with appliques and painted with rich pigments. Dress and ornament were identifiers of clans and ethnic groups and markers of rank among many ancient American peoples. Information encoded in elements of clothing and jewelry would have been understood by the members of those groups.

Provenance: private New York City, New York, USA collection; ex-The Lands Beyond, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#162880

Right hand repaired with finger reattached, and visible break lines. Nicks and surface abrasions. Nice burnishing marks and light traces of pigments. Whistle still works.