Description:

Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Atlantic watershed, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. Carved from brittle grey volcanic stone, this is a nude standing figure of a man with distinctly simian features. His body is depicted slightly crouched, standing on sturdy legs and flat feet, with his arms out to the sides, one hand turned to face outward, the other turned to face inward. He has an erect phallus and the suggestion of pectoral muscles, but his body has very little other decoration aside from two nobs that project from the outsides of his ankles, perhaps representing footwear or jewelry. His face is much more detailed, with wide features and large, perforated ears. Atop his head is some kind of convex headdress with two rounded crests. The figure's eyes are depicted as squinting, giving the impression that he has been carved to look not at the viewer but at some far-off world. Size: 5.25" W x 7.9" H (13.3 cm x 20.1 cm)

Pre-Columbian Costa Ricans created hand-carved volcanic stone sculptures that are enigmatic to us today. Human figures are depicted wearing items that may signify rank or show a social affiliation - presumably this figure's hat would have been instantly recognizable to people at that time.

Provenance: private Vaught Collection, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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#124854

  • Condition: Expected surface wear from age; figure is intact, with clear details.

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June 29, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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