A terracotta standing figure in an abstract reduced, basic form. The protruding nose is modelled and pierced with a gold-alloy ring, which, as a sacred metal, represented the passport for the afterlife. The mouth and eyes are indicated by horizontal incised lines. The body drilled through three times.
 
This figure is a little more unusual in that it is in the form of an upright figure with short arms, possibly depicting a child, whilst most such figures are shown seated, with longer arms resting on the knees. These types of figures are known as slab figures and were included with ceramic vessels and metal ornaments as offerings in burials in shaft and chamber tombs. They may have been considered guardians or companions for the deceased.
 
Pre-Columbian Colombia, Quimbaya: Circa 4th-7th Century AD.
 
Condition: Very Fine generally: Minor chipping, and a small fragment of the head missing.
 
Provenance: Ex Gorny & Mosch 300, München 2023, Los 839. Previously, collection I. L., Austria, acquired between 1960 and 1990.