Description:

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Jamacoaque (Jama Coaque) culture, ca. 500 CE. A fierce and detailed pottery portrayal of a shaman dressed as/caught mid-transformation into a jaguar. A human shape, but with a jaguar's face and clawed paws, as well as a tail, the figure wears a robe that extends from the head all the way down to the feet; out the back is a small spout as this is a vessel, perhaps for holding some kind of ritual mind-altering drink. There are fine applied details on the face and the front claws grip twin discs. Pigment remains, especially the brilliant green which is probably meant to represent jade and which adorns the shaman jaguar's garments. This figure is one of the best-known aspects of the Jamacoaque artistic legacy, a realistic mold-made pottery figure that is probably a portrait of an individual. He may once have also had gold and/or stone ornaments. Headdresses, jewelry, and styles of dress were all signifiers of rank and social status within many pre-Columbian societies; to a member of the Jamacoaque, this figure probably had even deeper meaning, describing who the shaman was and what ceremony he or she was performing. Size: 5.1" L x 3.95" W x 4.8" H (13 cm x 10 cm x 12.2 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Peter Arnovock collection

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#117365

  • Condition: Intact, with much remaining pigment, light manganese staining.

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October 10, 2016 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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