Description:

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Manabi Province, Jama Coaque culture, ca. 500 CE. 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 appliqués and painted with rich pigments. The artist of this piece ornamented the body, bare chested with a long skirt, a grand headdress, nose ring, necklace, wrist cuffs, and pigments in shades of blue-green, red, and ochre. The pale green of the ornaments applied after firing was probably intended to represent greenstone such as jade, turquoise, or even emerald. Most Jama Coaque figures are not finished on the backside; this one, however, does shows nice detailing on the back. 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. Nice example replete with manganese blooms! 7-1/2"T x 4"W

Provenance: Ex-Ketterer Collection, Germany

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  • Condition: Repaired from two pieces. Else intact and excellent.

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October 24, 2014 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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