**Originally Listed At $1000**

Pre-Columbian, South America, Argentina, La Aguada / Aquada culture, ca. 700 to 1000 CE. A rare example of a smoking pipe carved from gray-brown stone depicting a pregnant woman standing atop fused legs and a narrow cylindrical mouthpiece. The expectant woman is adorned with incised crosshatch motifs atop her legs as well as zigzagging incisions on the sides of her legs and arms. Her arms are held flush against her waist with hands meeting beneath her ample busom, and her womb doubles as the concave receptacle. Shallow eyes are drilled outside of nasolabial folds and a trapezoidal nose, and a tiered hat resting atop her head serves as the thumb rest of the pipe body. Size: 1.5" W x 10.8" H (3.8 cm x 27.4 cm); 11.4" H (29 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Arte Textile, Steve Berger collection, San Francisco, California, USA acquired in 2006

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

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#157070

Losses to areas of figure's cap as shown. Minor abrasions to mouthpiece, body, receptacle, and figure, with light encrustations, and fading to some incised details. Nice surface smoothness throughout. Old inventory label on verso.