Description:

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Valdivian/Shillacoto-Wairajirca culture, ca. 1800 to 1500 BCE. A lovely ceremonial hand axe, hand-carved from a mottled forest-green stone with sage-green inclusions. The wide, T-shaped axe has a crescent-form blade, tapered shoulders, and a thick handle with a pair of protruding terminals. Hand axes of this form have been found as part of the Kotosh religious tradition, a name that archaeologists have given to ritual buildings built between 3000 and 1500 BCE in the mountain drainages of the high Andes. Hand axes like this one, although shaped like a real tool, were made specifically for ritual purposes and symbolized the power of their bearer, often following into the grave. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 3.3" W x 2.25" H (8.4 cm x 5.7 cm).

Provenance: private California, USA collection, acquired in 2004; ex-Gill Family collection, California, USA, acquired in 1980; ex-Colonel William R. Cameron collection, California, USA

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#145155

  • Condition: Small chips to blade edge and handle, with minor abrasions. Light earthen deposits throughout.

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August 6, 2019 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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