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Lot 36B
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Guangala Terracotta Figural Ocarina - Standing Nude Male
Guangala Terracotta Figural Ocarina - Standing Nude Male
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Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Guangala, ca. 100 BCE – 800 CE. A standing male figure modeled in buff terracotta, doubling as a working ocarina that still sounds when blown. The body is rendered with disarming frankness: a rounded torso bearing two pinched nipples, forearms folded across the abdomen with incised banding, and a prominent phallus marking the figure unmistakably as male. Traces of red pigment survive across the close-fitting cap, the rounded shoulders, and the broad thighs, lending warmth to the pale clay. The face is gently modeled, with lidded eyes, a wide nose, and a serene, closed mouth. The squat legs taper to small splayed feet that allow the piece to stand. Hollow and chambered within, the figure functions as a vessel flute, uniting sculptural portraiture with sound in a single ceramic body. Size: 4.1" W x 7.3" H (10.4 cm W x 18.5 cm H).

The Guangala culture flourished along the Santa Elena Peninsula and coastal Manabi of present-day Ecuador during the Regional Developmental period, heirs to the long ceramic tradition of the earlier Chorrera and Engoroy peoples. They are particularly noted for ceramic ocarinas and whistling vessels, instruments whose tones likely accompanied ritual and communal gatherings. The fusion of the human form with a playable instrument is characteristic: sound itself may have carried symbolic or ceremonial weight, the figure giving literal voice to the body it represents.

Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010

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Item # 203381

  • Condition: Very Good. Professionally repaired and restored with resurfacing over break lines. Missing proper right heel. Otherwise, nice presentation with good remaining detail. Still functions as a musical instrument.

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by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000