Description:

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Valdivian culture, ca. 3500 BCE. A reddish pottery head with thin slits for eyes and mouth and a low relief nose and brow; below the head is the beginning of the torso, including what appear to be large breasts. The head is capped by a distinctive coiffure that rises high above the face, with incised detail. These fired clay figures were produced, starting at the major Valdivian site of Real Alto, roughly five hundred years after similar ones were made in stone. Without the accompanying body, it is unclear if this particular example had a sex; although most examples are female, some have both male and female properties. These figures were found near hearths and food preparation areas, as well as in burials of important personages. Size: 0.8" W x 2.1" H (2 cm x 5.3 cm)

Provenance: collection of the late Peter Arnovick, San Francisco, California, USA

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#123441

  • Condition: Piece is a fragment as shown; fragment itself is unrepaired, with nice remaining detail.

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March 1, 2018 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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