Lot 88C
Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, ca. 1500 to 1100 BCE. This is a fine face fragment from a Machalilla figure. Machalilla artifacts are very early examples of Pre-Columbian art from the Americas (well over 3,000 years old), and are exceedingly rare.This would have once been part of a well-documented type of hollow Machalilla figure, featuring a short spout-like opening on the top of the head, which likely allowed the figure to function as a vessel. Importantly, these hollow Machalilla figures are believed to represent the earliest known hollow terracotta figures produced in the ancient Americas (the slightly earlier Valdivia culture/phase of ancient Ecuador is believed to be the first known to produce solid terracotta figures in the Americas). This example remains in good condition, despite being fragmentary, exhibiting fine modeling and attention to detail on the part of the ancient maker. It was made from a fine, high quality clay, and features a fine grey/tan slip with red painted patterns on the face. The perforations below the mouth are typical and distinctive for Machalilla figures, and likely represent piercings (per Donald Lathrop, for inserting multiple, skewer type labrets) once practiced by these people for aesthetic and/or ritualized purposes. Size: 5" W x 4" H (12.7 cm x 10.2 cm).
Reference: See Donald Lathrap's book "Ancient Ecuador: Culture, Clay, and Creativity 3000 to 300 BC", page 41, fig. 54 for an example of this exact type of Machalilla hollow figure.
Provenance: Former private Florida, USA collection, collected in the 1960s.
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#113075
- Condition: Fragmentary, as visible, once having been part of a larger hollow figure. The fragment remains in relatively good condition, with expected wear. This wear also covers the break, suggesting that the piece was ritually broken shortly after being made.
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