A Coclé Pedestal Plate with Composite Figure...

Description

A Coclé Pedestal Plate with Composite Figure
Panama, c. 800-1200 AD

Polychrome painted ceramic. The interior is centered by a composite figure, shown in an animated, crouching pose and surrounded by radiating long barbed darts understood as stingray spines. The image has been interpreted as a transformed ritual figure, perhaps a shamanic being, with avian, reptilian, or aquatic features combined in a single complex design. The pedestal is painted with bold geometric ornament, complementing the energetic image above. A vivid and finely balanced example of Coclé polychrome painting, notable for the tension between controlled geometry and animated figural design. In good condition; assembled from five original parts on the plate, with a small restored area on the pedestal and restoration over the break lines.

Provenance:
The Vilcek Foundation
Emile Deletaille, Brussels, Belgium, 1980s

Diameter: 10 ½ inches

Estimate: $800 - $1,200.

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