Description:

Back at auction due to fraudulent bidder from 6/2/2016 sale…

Pre-Columbian, South America, Ecuador, Valdivian, Earliest Horizon, ca. 2300 to 2000 BCE. A hand carved, light grey limestone palette of a stylized curved form with boldly cut lines delineating three arrows, the central one set in the opposite direction of the two that flank it. A very rare find, from the Valdivia culture which existed from approximately 3500 to 1800 BCE - only about 1700 years in total! Custom, museum-quality mount. Size: 6.25" W x 5.5" H (15.9 cm x 14 cm); 7" H (17.8 cm) with stand.

The ancient Valdivia culture of Ecuador was initially discovered by archaeologist Emilio Estrada in 1956, fairly recently in historic terms, and it is regarded as one of the oldest cultures of the ancient Americas. Interestingly, this culture still poses a bit of a mystery to scholars as no finite end to this culture has been identified yet; what's more, no sign of a cultural migration has surfaced. Most plausible is that the population somehow dwindled inspiring members of the communities to leave their settlements in search of opportunities elsewhere.

Provenance: Ex -private Texas collection, ex-Art for Eternity / Howard Nowes, NYC, NY.

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#113906

  • Condition: One corner restored. Some surface wear, abrasions, and mineral deposits commensurate with age.

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July 14, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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