Description:

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 500 to 1000 CE. A charming, hand-built pottery whistle in the form of a monkey with sizable, round eyes and a protruding snout in a characteristically simian pose of one hand on his stomach and the other atop his head. The delightful animal presents a rotund body that tapers to the mouthpiece of the instrument with 4 pierced blow holes on the verso, allowing it to produce a lovely, high-pitched sound. Monkeys have always fascinated humankind, with their zany antics that seem to mirror and, at times, parody humans. Understanding simian creatures as mimics of human culture, most ancients of the Americas regarded the monkey as a mediary between humankind and the supernatural. Size: 2" W x 3.1" H (5.1 cm x 7.9 cm); 4.5" H (11.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA, from the 1950s - 1960s, item #s CR9, CR15 & E5; ex-private Nevada, USA collection

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#177589

  • Condition: Still functions as a whistle. Some light surface wear, but otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining detail.

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September 1, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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