Lot 95B
Pre-Columbian, Brazil, Marajo Island at the mouth of the Amazon, Marajoara, ca. 800 to 1400 CE. Marajoara pottery is some of the most finely-decorated pottery from this part of the ancient world. The artist who created this pubic cover painted three registers of stylized geometric motifs in red on a creamy white ground. It is one of the larger examples we have seen; drilled at each corner for attachment. Known as a tanga, this curved triangular genital covering was intended for a woman, possibly for a rite of passage ceremony. Size: 4.125" W x 4.375" H (10.5 cm x 11.1 cm); 5.375" H (13.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Marajoara is known for its beautiful ceramic vessels, which are intricately decorated in a similar manner to this tanga. John Hemming, in his book exploring the history and culture of the Amazon entitled "Tree of Rivers" describes Marajoara pottery as follows, "The most famous ceramic style is Marajoara, named after the flat island Marajo that sits like a cork in the mouth of the Amazon. ...They are covered with elaborate incised and painted geometrical tracery. Everything is stylized, self-assured, intricate and beautiful. Human faces are reduced to components, as in a Picasso portrait, and there are snakes, lizards, caymans, tortoises and birds. [...] Many pots depict females, with every feature... reduced to geometric simplicity with the elegance of Cycadean art." (Hemming, Tree of Rivers: The Story of the Amazon" Thames and Hudson, 2009)
Provenance: ex-Arte Antico, New York, New York, USA
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#137609
- Condition: Expected surface wear commensurate with age showing some abraded areas and fading to pigment. Nice mineral and earth deposits as well. Old inventory label on verso.
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