Description:

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Valdivian culture, ca. 3500 BCE. A hand-built pottery female figure known as a 'Venus' standing atop delineated conical legs. The simplified body emphasizes the breasts, hips, and womb, and her shoulders are shrouded by the thick, incised bangs of her elegant coiffure. Her petite face displays slit-form eyes beneath thin brows, a small nose, and a rounded chin. Deep red pigment accentuates her body and the verso. 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. Although most examples are female, some have both male and female properties, and their purpose and meaning remain unclear. These figures were found near hearths and food preparation areas, as well as in burials of important personages. Size: 1.6" W x 3.875" H (4.1 cm x 9.8 cm); 4.875" H (12.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s

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#147114

  • Condition: Head and upper body reattached to lower body, with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Minor abrasions to legs, body, and head, with light encrustations, and fading to original pigmentation. Light earthen deposits throughout.

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June 20, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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