Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Manabi Province, Bahia culture, ca. 5th to 1st century BCE. A hollow-built pottery female figure that doubles as a playable ocarina. Highly burnished and adorned with black, red-orange, and white hues, the stylized figure stands upon legs covered with an incised skirt bearing two tone holes, and she holds both arms atop her abdomen and beneath her breasts and beaded necklace. Her serene countenance bears a pair of coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a protruding nose with a septum ring, several ornaments on each ear, and thin lips, all beneath a simple cap. A hole behind her head functions as the mouthpiece of the instrument, and tone holes along the front and back of the leg change the pitch to create at least 2 distinct notes. Size: 3.75" W x 9.6" H (9.5 cm x 24.4 cm); 12" H (30.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private Healy collection, Studio City, California, USA; ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA, before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#166571
Condition
Repair to back of head from two pieces, with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Light abrasions and fading to pigment, and small nicks to feet, front of legs, and one ear. Nice preservation to pigment throughout. Ocarina still produces nice sound when played.