Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Campeche region, Jaina Island, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A hand-built pottery ocarina of charming form depicting a seated male monkey with arms placed atop his distended abdomen. Nude and covered in orange slip, the creature presents with an exposed phallus, legs bent and out at his sides, and a necklace with a large pendant shaped like a set of testes. The simian face bears coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a protruding snout topped with a perky nose, full lips, and ears adorned with large, circular ornaments, all beneath a central, crested coiffure. The monkey's tail doubles as the instrument's mouthpiece, and a pair of tone holes enables the musician to adjust the pitch as desired. Size: 4.2" W x 5.6" H (10.7 cm x 14.2 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Miami, Florida, USA collection, acquired from Charles Warren in the 1980s

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#171611

  • Condition: Restoration to front of proper left foot as well as tail/mouthpiece. Small loss to front of proper right foot. Abrasions, encrustations, and softening to some finer details, with darkening and fading to orange slip. Nice preservation to overall simian form. Ocarina still produces musical notes that can be adjusted with tone holes. Old inventory label beneath base of mouthpiece.

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September 24, 2022 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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