Manabi Bahia Polychrome Female Figural Whistle (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 65)

$578.25

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Manabi Province, Bahia culture, ca. 300 BCE to 800 CE. A hand-modeled terracotta female figural whistle of the Bahia culture, the columnar body finished in warm red slip above a natural buff lower register divided by a painted black band at the hip, with slightly raised breasts marking the figure’s feminine identity. The broad, flat-topped head bears finely modeled facial features with closed eyes, and the form terminates in carefully incised toes. Ocarina apertures pierced through the crown of the head confirm the object’s function as a ritual acoustic instrument, and the whistle remains fully functional today, producing a clear, high-pitched tone when blown. Bahia culture female figurines of this type are understood to have served ceremonial and funerary roles along the coastal regions of present-day Manabi Province, their feminine form likely invoking fertility and regenerative power within the spiritual landscape of ancient Ecuador. Size: 7.5″ L x 2.6″ W (19 cm x 6.6 cm)

Publication: Cf. Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, object number 1990.011.056.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection; ex-major gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, primarily acquired between 1985 and 2005

Condition: Good. Some age-commensurate surface wear with nicks and abrasions as shown. Otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining pigments. Still functions as a whistle.