Lot 50, Auction 4/12/2026: La Tolita Carved Bone Nude Male Effigy Figure w/ Fangs

$780.00

In stock

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, La Tolita culture, ca. 350 BCE to 400 CE. A compact yet arresting carved ungulate bone effigy depicting a nude male figure standing on an integral plinth, his bent legs and forward stance lending a sense of tension and presence. The figure grips his erect phallus in one hand while the other rests against his chest, a gesture that may suggest fertility, vitality, or ritualized masculinity. His disproportionately large head is rendered with a striated face, ovoid eyes, and a sharply pointed nose, while the open mouth reveals pronounced fangs, imparting a fierce, almost supernatural expression. A short tail appears on the verso, reinforcing the hybrid or symbolic nature of the figure. Such bone carvings from La Tolita are often associated with ritual or shamanic contexts, where exaggerated features and potent imagery conveyed spiritual power and transformation. Size: 1″ W x 4.9″ H (2.5 cm x 12.4 cm); 5.5″ H (14 cm) on included custom stand.

Condition: Some nicks, chips, pitting, perforations, and ossification, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, mostly intact with good remaining detail and rich patina throughout.

Provenance: private New York, USA collection; ex-Lands Beyond Time, New York, New York, USA

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