Pre-Columbian Jama-Coaque Pottery Mother and Child Figure

Ecuador, circa 200 BC – 200 AD

A finely modeled hollow pottery figure depicting a seated female carrying a child on her back, rendered in the distinctive sculptural tradition of the Jama-Coaque culture of coastal Ecuador. The figure displays a pronounced cranial form, almond-shaped eyes, and a prominent nose, with applied ear ornaments and a multi-strand necklace. The child, secured behind the mother, clings naturally to her shoulders, reinforcing the intimate maternal theme characteristic of this culture.

The composition belongs to a well-documented group of Jama-Coaque figural works exploring fertility, lineage, and motherhood, themes central to the social and spiritual identity of the region. The sculptural balance between the forward-facing seated posture and the rear-positioned child creates a dynamic yet harmonious form, emphasizing both physical presence and symbolic meaning.

The surface retains areas of earthen deposits and age wear consistent with antiquity. The figure shows visible restoration and stabilization, including break lines and losses, typical for excavated ceramic material of this period.

This example is particularly notable for its publication and early documented provenance, making it a highly desirable and academically referenced piece within the corpus of Ecuadorian coastal art.

Height: 5” in height, 4 1/2” length

Published: Maternity in Pre-Columbian Art / La Maternidad en el Arte Precolombino, Florencio García Cisneros and Rafael Llerena, illustrated p. 85, no. 85.

Provenance: José E. Alegría, San Juan, Puerto Rico; sold January 14, 1976 to Mrs. Elton M. Cary, Miami Beach, Florida; thence by descent / private collection.