Set of three traditional Indio Picaro figurines, Chile
A set of three Indio Picaro figurines (literally, “the mischievous Indian”). Indio Picaro are traditional Chilean figurines inspired by Mapuche culture (an ethnic group inhabiting South America, mainly Chile and parts of Argentina), made of wood and painted. They feature a characteristic broad smile and are movable: the torso lifts up, revealing the genitals (male or female). The origin of the figurines is not entirely clear, but they gained international fame in the 1990s when U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle purchased several of them, an event captured by the Chilean press. Thanks to him, they even made their way to the White House, and over time they became popular in the U.S.
The set consists of three wooden figurines: two male and one female.
Condition: good / very good (one figure has a broken mechanism).
Dimensions of the female figurine: 12.5 (height) x 6 (length) x 5.7 (width) cm.
Dimensions of male figure I: 11.2 (height) x 5.8 (length) x 7 (width) cm.
Dimensions of the male figurine II: 12 (height) x 5.8 (length) x 6 (width) cm.
[JR]