Lot 79C
Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Jama Coaque (Jamacoaque) culture, ca. 500 CE. An animated example of a shaman, standing with its hands thrown out to its sides. The figure's features are transformed, wild, and animalian. It wears a headdress, a loincloth, a long necklace, a nose ornament, armbands and anklets. The body is covered in what appears to be armor and the feet look almost avian. This was a hollow, mold-made figure, and a great deal of the original blue and yellow pigment - some of the most characteristic colors of the Jamacoaque - remains. Shamanic transformation - brought on in part by the ingestion of coca leaves - was a huge part of the Jama Coaque pottery, a turning away from earlier Ecuadorian pottery traditions (Valdivian, Chorrera) that were focused on representations of the body. In this new phase in ancient Ecuadorian society, status and different occupations for individuals suddenly became important to show artistically - suggesting that this was the period when their culture began to stratify and become culturally complex, with individuals in the society having specialized roles like shaman. This fantastic figure stands on its own as a work of art but also reminds us of exciting developments in a long-lost world. Size: 4.9" W x 6.5" H (12.4 cm x 16.5 cm)
Compare to Pre-Columbian Art of South America by Alan Lapiner and Amerindian Signs, 5000 Years of Pre-Columbian Art in Ecuador by Valdes for similar examples of this type.
Provenance: Ex-NY Collection Shillo Adir Park Avenue, Acq 1970s
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#117135
- Condition: Loss to bottom of one side of headdress as shown; other areas of repair to headdress.
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