Ekeko, the Andean God of Abundance
Dressed in traditional Andean clothing, including a woolen cap tied beneath his chin, Ekeko, the deity of abundance and prosperity, brings his believers good fortune. The Ekeko is overloaded with food, baskets and material goods, which invites a comparison to other deities of good fortune and the symbols that accompany them — for example, Tyche’s cornucopia or Hotei’s enormous sack of goodies. The Ekeko was popularized as a modern deity during Colonial times, but his roots can be traced back to pre-Incan times.
Figures of Ekeko are kept in the home, preferably in a place of honor; and miniature offerings, including bags of grain, household goods and cash, are made to him. In exchange, he showers his devotees with wealth and abundance. His favors are explicitly transactional — he will not reward you unless you first provide him with a suitable offering.
(left) Ekeko Figure from La Paz Bolivia c. 1975; (above) Collection of Ekeko figures, mid-20th century. From the collection of the Museum of International Folk Art
Ekeko also enjoys smoking cigarettes, and the modern practice is that he should be given a cigarette to smoke at least once per year. Some maintain that Ekeko must be given a cigarette each time a favor is sought. If the cigarette is only half consumed then it is bad omen. If the Ekeko smokes it until the end, it suggests he will grant your desire.
Ekeko is available for purchase online, but it is better to receive him as a gift than to purchase him for oneself.
(left) Man dressed as an Ekeko. The garlic on his vest recalls the gobbo. (above) Home altar with offerings for the Ekeko.
In researching the origin of the the figure below (center), The House stumbled across the photo of the figure (below, right). A good match, right? The description was “Ceramic figure, man in orange vest” and indicated that this figure was located at the Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore (MUSEF) in Sucre, Bolivia. The House fired off an email to MUSEF and tried to explain the situation in (admittedly) poor Spanish, the gist of which was, “I see you have this figure in your collection. Can you please tell me if this is Ekeko?” Let’s just say that the response was neither kind nor helpful and made sure to point out that The House is not a fluent Spanish speaker. It’s difficult to understand why a research organization dedicated to cultural learning would be unwilling to help educate someone with a sincere interest in the subject matter, but we digress…
The point is that three figures shown below are (1) The figure identified as part of MUSEF’s collection (left) and (2) The House of Good Fortune’s figure, minus accoutrements (right).
Antique ceramic figure, possibly Ekeko, House of Good Fortune Collection
The House’s figure shown (below) as found with hat, mittens, poncho and other items. Vegetables and money were added by The House to bring about an abundant harvest. Based on the fact that this figure was found with traditional Andean clothing and other items associated with Ekeko, I believe he either is meant to be Ekeko or was used as an Ekeko figure. If anyone knows more about this subject or can make a definitive attribution, please let The House know!
