Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Qimbaya, ca. 1st to 7th century CE. A high karat gold (22 kt) vessel in the form of a shouldered small bottle adorned with an anthropomorphic mask depicting a frontal, seemingly tranquil visage (perhaps engaged in a trancelike state induced by coca) comprised of closed coffee-bean shaped eyes, a wide nose, and full lips - highly adorned with multiple earrings on either side. Both the figural imagery and the flask present refined composition, technique, and finish. Size: 4" L x 2.5" W (10.2 cm x 6.4 cm) Weight: 150 grams
A poporo is a device used by indigenous cultures Pre-Columbian South America for storage of small amounts of lime made from calcined seashells used to enjoy the effects of coca leaves. It consists of two pieces: the receptacle and the lid which includes a pin that is used to carry the lime to the mouth while chewing coca leaves. Since the chewing of coca has traditionally been considered sacred for the indigenous people, poporos have also been attributed with mystical powers and social status. The Quimbaya civilization is noted for spectacular gold work characterized by technical accuracy and detailed designs. Most of the retrieved items are part of funeral offerings, found in the inside of sarcophagi made of hollow trunks. The gold used to create poporos like this example represented a sacred metal ideal for an elite's passage to the afterlife.
Similar examples reside in elite museum collections. For example, see a gold poporo depicting a nude female figure with a visage very similar to the one depicted on this example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City (accession number 1991.419.22).
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired at Skinner auction, Boston, November 9, 2013, lot 74; ex-Leo and Lillian Fortess collection
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#101537
Condition
Losses/casting flaws to rim, shoulders of vessel, and areas where top of heads meet the vessel as shown. Overall, a wonderful example.