Figure head Chorrera, Ecuador, 1800 - 300 BC Terracotta 12 cm height Provenance: - Private collection, J. R. (1928 - 2013) Barcelona, formed since 1950 until 1980. Thence by descendent. Condition: Good, see photos. Documents: With Spanish Export license. The Chorrera culture inhabited the area that is now the southern coast of Ecuador, covering parts of Guayas, Manabí, and Esmeraldas provinces and extending throughout the basin of the Guayas River and its tributaries. These rivers provided the Chorrera with both a supply of resources and a transport route. The Chorrera culture produced highly polished ceramics with an almost mirror-like sheen, decorating them with red, black, smoked, and yellowish-white designs, separated with dots and incisions. These negatively-painted pieces had an iridescent finish. Their vessels have realistic, life-like representations of animals, plants, fruit, buildings, and human figures. The human figures are represented in round, voluminous shapes, with headdresses or turbans on their heads, which may have been a symbol of status in Chorrera society. Many of their ceramic forms were inherited from the earlier Machalilla culture, but new forms also were made, including the whistle bottle, which makes a sound when air is blown over the neck or when the liquid inside is swirled around. Small, smooth, solid ceramic figures have also been ascribed to this culture, as well as larger hollow figures with asymmetrical decorations. Little is known about the rituals of the Chorrera culture, although it has been established that coca-chewing played an important role, as containers have been found that were used for storing llipta, an alkaline substance that was mixed with the coca leaf. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union). NOT TAXES. - According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. - From 6,001 to 60,000 euros: 10%. This export permit application process can take between 1-2 months maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.