Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Calima, Yotoco period, ca. 1st to 7th century CE. A remarkable gold headdress ornament showcasing a central repousse human face flanked by abstract coiling motifs and crowned by an impressive pair of curved horns. Two birds perch symmetrically on either side of the horns, while the anthropomorphic face features crescent-shaped eyes, an annular nose, and a rectangular mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth. Notably, the overall profile of the cut gold sheet resembles a butterfly, with extended antennae and spread wings. The entire piece is intricately decorated with concentric circles, dotted striations, and geometric patterns, achieved through careful etching and punching. Size: 8" W x 6.6" H (20.3 cm x 16.8 cm); gold quality: 82.96% (19K+); weight: 32.4 grams.

Elaborate ornaments like the present example expressed the wealth and status of the wearer. Worn attached to a turban, basketry headdress, or other form of textile construction, it would have offered a spectacular sight when in motion with its shining surface and several piercings for suspending ornaments. Yotoco headdress frontals come from the Calima River Valley in southwest Colombia and are complex constructions of many individual pieces of cut sheet gold assembled with gold wire.

The gold in this piece was first hammered into a sheet and subsequently cut into the desired shape. The artist then added details by further shaping the sheet with a bone or metal tool over a soft anvil made of leather or a sack of fine sand.

Provenance: private New York, USA collection, acquired from Artemis Gallery in 2024; ex-private Kihei, Hawaii, USA collection, 1999; ex- Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA

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#191452

    Condition:
  • Repairs with gold wire fastening to horns and tail of one bird, as well as some small tears, light bending, and creasing in areas. Loss to tip of one bird's tail and loss of other bird's head. Nice remaining detail. Old Arte Primitivo label taped to one side.

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by Artemis Fine Arts
January 30, 2025 8:00 AM MST
686 S. Taylor Ave., #108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Artemis Fine Arts

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