Pre-Columbian Jama-Coaque Pottery Figure with Rattle
Manabí Region, Coastal Ecuador
c. 300 BC – 600 AD

A finely modeled Jama-Coaque pottery figure depicting a standing female figure wearing an elaborate headdress and jewelry. The figure holds a ceramic rattle in one hand, an element often associated with ritual performance, ceremonial dance, or shamanic activity in the Jama-Coaque culture of coastal Ecuador.

The figure displays many of the classic stylistic features of Jama-Coaque sculpture: a tall cylindrical headdress, carefully modeled facial features with almond-shaped eyes, prominent nose, and detailed ear ornaments. The figure also wears a necklace and arm ornaments, reflecting the rich ceremonial attire frequently depicted in Jama-Coaque elite figures.

The surface retains earthen mineral deposits and burial encrustations, consistent with long-term age and burial. The figure is hollow with internal pellets creating the rattle sound, a common feature in ceremonial figures from this culture.

Height: 11 1/4 inches (28.6 cm)

Provenance:
Ex Francis L. Wolfson Collection
Original Arte Primitivo receipt dated January 28, 1977 for $1,000 included.
Acquired by Elton Cary, Miami Beach, 1977.
Accompanied by a Frances Louise Wolfson appraisal dated May 25, 1990 with photograph, valuing the figure at $2,800.

A well-provenanced and impressive large Jama-Coaque ceremonial pottery figure, representing one of the most sophisticated ceramic traditions of ancient Ecuador.