Superb head modelled on the portrait of a young... Lot 42

Superb head modelled on the portrait of a young priest with a beautiful hieratic and timeless expression. His skull has a large deformation pointing backwards. Cranial deformities were only done on the elite members of the clan. Beige terracotta, chips on the nose and one ear Tumaco, Tolita Island, Ecuador, 500 av-500 ap JC 16 x 12 x 13 cm Provenance: Besch Cannes Auction, Hotel Martinez, sale 15 July 2006, N°75 in the catalogue. Former collection of a senior official on mission for the European Union and French cooperation, built up around the middle of the 20th century.