DIQUIS STANDING FIGURE
COSTA RICA, 600-900 A.D.
Estimate: £2,000 - £3,000
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
carved volcanic stone, the standing female figure depicted nude, the arms held out from the sides with the hands open and palms facing the viewer, the hair worn long reaching the upper back, the ears pierced
Dimensions
25.4cm tall
Provenance
William G. Butler, New York City, acquired from the below, May 3, 1978, no. 164
Harmer Rooke Gallery, New York City, acquired prior to May 1978
Footnote
The Diquis culture developed between 800 and 1500 A.D.in Southern Costa Rica; the word diquís meaning Great Waters or Great River in the Boruca language, and the delta of the great Diquís River is a major feature of that region’s geography. They may have arisen from local groups that were influenced by more southerly groups, particularly those that inhabited the territories of modern day Colombia. This impact would explain the intensified use of agriculture and the typically South American cultural elements especially prevalent in their artistic output, like their metalsmithing and ceramics. However, the Diquis have a very unique style in stone sculpture. They are famous for the big stone spheres they produced, still in situ in some instances, and the geometric and minimalistic way they depicted human and animalistic figures, of which this figure is a great example.