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LOT 2339
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Smiling Terracotta Figure
CIRCA 800-1200 A.D.
8 5/8 in. (364 grams, 22 cm).
A classic, smiling hollow-formed standing nude apart from a loincloth and a collar with amulets; broad brow-band with low-relief ornament; holes to reverse; repaired. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an old Pre-Columbian collection.
Believed to be ex Christie's, London, 17 October 1996, no.72A (part).
From the private collection of a North West London gentleman.
For a range of classic religious figures from classic Veracruz, see Favaro, A. The World that Wasn't There, 5 Continents, Milan, 2019.
FootnotesThese figures known as smiling figures from the Veracruz are associated with religious ceremonies and were often purposefully broken prior to burial.
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AUCTIONS:
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Pre-Columbian Veracruz Smiling Terracotta Figure
Circa 800-1200 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
A classic, smiling hollow-formed standing nude apart from a loincloth and a collar with amulets; broad brow-band with low-relief ornament; holes to reverse; repaired. 364 grams, 22 cm
From an old Pre-Columbian collection. Believed to be ex Christie's, London, 17 October 1996, no.72A (part). From the private collection of a North West London gentleman.
These figures known as smiling figures from the Veracruz are associated with religious ceremonies and were often purposefully broken prior to burial. -
Pre-Columbian Chancay Decorated Bowl
9th-14th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Squat with rounded underside and slightly everted rim, opposed lugs to the rim, band of painted crosshatching beneath the rim and rectangles with arrowheads beneath, chip to rim. 186 grams, 12.1 cm
Acquired in the 1970s. Ex Nicolas Cuppy, UK. Acquired in the 1980s. Property of a Cambridgeshire gentleman. -
Pre-Columbian Frog and Human Face Amulet Pendant
1st millennium A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
A green stone frog with almond eyes, legs bent to the underside, humanoid face in a wide-open mouth; drilled for suspension. 27.07 grams, 40 mm
Acquired on the American art market. Private collection, London, UK.
