Poporo. - Lot 393

Poporo. Tumbaga with strong copper oxidation. Lost wax casting. Colombia. Quimbaya culture, ca. 1000-1500 A.D. Height: 15 cm - Width: 5.3 cm - Thickness: 8.1 cm. Provenance : Former collection of Ramón Alonso Noval, Oviedo, Spain. Acquired between 1960 and 1970. By succession until today. MSMAP Laboratory report dated April 2, 2021 analyzing the surface of the work. Thermoluminescence test by the Kotalla Laboratory dated March 16, 2021, indicating a date for the remaining firing core of around AD 1050. Figure seated on a ceremonial chair. The head is adorned with a headdress composed of 4 spheres. The head is imposing. The eyes are half-closed like coffee beans. The mouth is closed and the lips are hemmed. It wears a nose ring and the ears are rounded. The arms, legs and ankles are adorned with bracelets, while a wide, multi-row necklace adorns the chest. Each hand holds a four-leaf element. Their use is unclear. The term Poporo may be a misnomer, as it refers to a hot container that was added when coca was chewed during shamanic rituals. This extremely fine example can be compared to certain pieces known as the Trésor De Filandia or Trésor des Quimabaya in the Museo de America in Madrid. "Pre-Columbian art of South America", Alan Lapiner, New York: H. N. Abrams, 1976, page 378, fig. 804 Expert in Pre-Columbian Art: Yannick DURAND.