Jama-Coaque Ceramic Effigy
This phenomenal ceramic figure you see here is a part of the Jama-Coaque tradition from 1,400-2,300 years ago! While much of the culture remains elusive, their powerful ceramic figurines tell their stories to us today.
The Jama-Coaque people have an interesting history. They lived in modern-day Ecuador from around 550 B.C. until the Spanish conquered the area. However, they existed in different phases due to a volcanic eruption from the Guagua Pichincha volcano around 90 C.E. The volcano destroyed the area. Still, the culture endured and re-emerged 300 years later with the same craft traditions persevering. They are best known for their mold-made ceramic effigies depicting human figures such as warriors (like this one), hunters, musicians, and religious figures. The main center was San Isidro, which may indicate significant importance in reestablishing their civilization, whether it was because of the religion, region, or economy. These people could have passed on the center’s importance through oral histories and mythologies. These oral histories held the memory of the Jama-Coaque people.
The majority of these mold-made figures are interpreted to represent the shamanistic rituals and practices. The stylized figures depict vivid regalia such as textiles, jewelry, and large headdresses. Some figurines emphasize dynamic movement with kinetic adornments, such as nose rings. This warrior depicted shows an amazing costume with facial jewelry and a weapon, much like a Macuahuitl. It appears to be a club with five nodules on each side; presumably, if modeled after the Macuahuitl, each nodule was made of fine obsidian knives.
These practices, both the religious and craft traditions, transpired from previous generations and cultures. We see the same imagery produced from earlier civilizations like the Chorrera and Valdivia. However, the Jama-Coaque prided on material beliefs more than the previous people. While we don’t see the pigment in the statue depicted here. Like other statues of this time, we can assume that it was painted to indicate the rich material file full of color, texture, and even sound! These important objects, like these ceramic molds, were passed down to be used almost as an heirloom, connecting history and generations.
Scholars have connected these visual representations of ritual life to the model of material wealth. We can begin to see the culture’s social life, and what was special to them. We see the wealth in gold, jewels, textiles, and shells. These material goods then show scholars today the trade routes and connections these people made with their outside world. Some have argued they have maritime trade reaching as far as West Mexico based on parallels in iconography.
Scholars have also noted that the ceramic figures’ iconography, around the Spanish arrival in January 1531, depict warriors in action poses, wielding spear-throwers in one hand and three darts in the other. We have evidence in ethnohistoric accounts that the Jama-Coaque people used these weapons against the Spanish on the coast. It is amazing how these artforms lend us critical knowledge and imagery of the people who once lived. As we can see, these ceramic figures of the Jama-Coaque culture are a crucial component of reconstructing the past, and they still have stories to tell!
Jama-Coaque Ceramic Effigy, Equador, ca. 300 B.C.-A.D. 600, 23" x 10 3/4"
Blog by Jazlyn Sanderson
References:
Cummins, Thomas. 2019. "The Jama-Coaque Mold-made Figurines from Coastal Ecuador: The Case for Continuity." Res (Cambridge, Mass.) 71-72: 64-77.
"Jama-Coaque ." Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. . Encyclopedia.com. Edited December 21, 2020. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/jama-coaque
“The Ancient Jama-Coaque Culture.” Equador.com. Accessed January 2021. https://www.ecuador.com/blog/the-ancient-jama-coaque-culture/.
“Standing Figure, 1st-5th century, Jama-Coaque.” The Metropoliatan Museum of Art. Accessed January 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/314183.
This phenomenal ceramic figure you see here is a part of the Jama-Coaque tradition from 1,400-2,300 years ago! While much of the culture remains elusive, their powerful ceramic figurines tell their stories to us today.