Pre-Columbian, Brazil, Marajoara culture, ca. 800 to 1400 CE. An essential tool for the Marajoara with a nicely sculpted form, this is a terracotta pounder for grinding yucca and other staple crops. The lower body is smooth and conical, terminating in a sturdy handle capped by a fish resting atop a zoomorphic head with bulging eyes. The fish's body features a ridged texture in strong contrast to the lower end of the pounder. Yucca was an important part of the Marajoara diet as well as those of other people in the region - for example, Spanish explorer Orellana and his men recorded that, during the annual winter flood season, the roots were collected and buried, to be recovered after flooding had ended. Baked yucca cakes, meanwhile, could last for many months. Size: 5.25" W x 8.25" H (13.3 cm x 21 cm)

Provenance: ex-Eugene Lions collection, Geneva, Switzerland, collected before 1970

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.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#153409

The lower part of the body has several stable, unrepaired fissures. Great deposits on surface and nice preservation of the motifs on the handle. Old collection number taped low on the body.