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Premium MILLON
40
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- Beautiful set of five zoomorphic ocarinas.
See original version (French)
40
-
- Beautiful set of five zoomorphic ocarinas.
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
- Beautiful set of five zoomorphic ocarinas.
Terracotta, remains of polychromy, marks of time
Guanacaste - Nicoya, Costa Rica, end of period IV, 200 - 500 AD
From 6 to 11 cm
Provenance: acquired by Mr Martinez from the former Arts des Amériques gallery, Paris, between the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Bibliography:
Abel-Vidor, Suzanne et al, Between Continents / Between Seas: Precolumbian Art of Costa Rica, Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1981, p. 188, for similar examples.
In the Guanacaste-Nicoya region of Costa Rica, ocarinas play an important role in musical and ritual practices. Equipped with several perforations to modulate the sounds, they were used in ceremonies, collective dances and community gatherings. The zoomorphic forms, often inspired by local animals, reflect a close relationship between man and his environment, with certain species acquiring a strong symbolic value. The sometimes humanised treatment of these figures reinforces this dimension, suggesting intermediary entities between the animal world and that of divinities. Taken as a whole, the work is both functional and expressive, characteristic of the cultures of ancient Costa Rica.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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