A Jamacoaque Pottery Figural Mold, Ecuador, ca. 500 CE

a rare figural mold made of terracotta with exquisite facial features, beautifully sculpted almond shaped eyes, the nose and mouth well defined, the ears exceptionally detailed with ear ornaments. Jama-Coaque were skilled in creating various textiles, made use of a number of tools in their daily lives and were famous for their creative ornamentation. By examining the ornaments and sculptures that were discovered, the archaeologists have managed to uncover that the figures, which depict a variety of people such as cooks, rulers, warriors, musicians and fishermen were used as codes that could be used to differentiate between the clans, as well as ethnic heritage and ranking within the clan.

Background: It is known that as far back as 500 BC the Jama-Coaque people were using canoes made of balsa wood to navigate the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and it is said that they were very able and skilled seafarers. They were in fact such an advanced community that they took on trade expeditions to Chile and Mexico.

The Jama-Coaque communities were skilled in creating ceramic pottery items as well, which again showed that they were a very sophisticated tribe. The pottery recovered from the sites is on display at the Jama Municipal Museum. Tragically, the entire culture was lost when the Spanish invaded Ecuador on a mission to conquer the Inca Empire.

Dimensions:  Height:  16.52 cm (6.5 inches)  Diameter: 13.33 cm (5.25 inches)

Condition:   Intact and in excellent condition overall.  With museum quality custom mount.

Provenance:  S. Bono private collection, acquired from the NY trade in 2001 and previously in a private Michigan collection, with old collection number #774 inscribed on back.