Lot 13
Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Jamacoaque (Jama Coaque) culture, ca. 500 CE. A wonderful pottery shaman mask displaying a finely-formed countenance with stylized features, all adorned in vibrant red and black pigments. Gazing outward from slender, coffee bean-shaped eyes with projecting lids, the vizard presents a sweeping unibrow, high cheek bones, a curved nose pierced at the tip for suspending ornaments, drilled nostrils, gently parted lips, and a jutting chin. Applied clay strips form parentheses enveloping the mouth, helping to further highlight the dramatic cheek bones, while high-set ears flank the face, each adorned with sizeable, annular ear spools. The peripheries of the mask feature 5 drill holes for strapping the mask to the head of the wearer. Size: 7.8" W x 6.9" H (19.8 cm x 17.5 cm)
Shamanic transformation - brought on in part by the ingestion of coca leaves - was a huge part of the Jama Coaque pottery, a turning away from earlier Ecuadorian pottery traditions (Valdivian, Chorrera) that were focused on representations of the body. In this new phase in ancient Ecuadorian society, status and different occupations for individuals suddenly became important to show artistically - suggesting that this was the period when their culture began to stratify and become culturally complex, with individuals in the society having specialized roles like shaman. This fantastic mask stands on its own as a work of art but also reminds us of exciting developments in a long-lost world.
Provenance: ex-Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010
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#172879
- Condition: Professionally repaired with some areas of restoration and repainting. Small chip to nose. Light surface wear with some nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with great remaining pigments. Collection label inscribed on verso.
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