Description:

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Manabi Province, Bahia culture, ca. 5th to 1st century BCE. A molded, fine ceramic votive ocarina in the form of a standing woman holding her hands in front of her body. Her large, smooth head has a bulbous shape that reflects the tradition of skull shaping within the culture and may indicate the social status of the individual the figure is modeled after. The body is smooth and stylized, terminating in short, wide legs on gently tilted, squared-off feet. The Bahia continued in the long Ecuadorian tradition of ceramic effigy making, and this one may have been used in rituals or as offerings; one archaeological site, on La Plata Island, has yielded thousands of broken effigy figures similar to this one. Still playable as a musical instrument. Size: 4" W x 9.5" H (10.2 cm x 24.1 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private lifetime collection of Dr. Saul Tuttman and Dr. Gregory Siskind, New York, New York, USA

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#139496

  • Condition: Intact, with nice remaining pigment. Old collection number written on underside of one foot. Still playable!

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January 10, 2019 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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