Pre-Columbian, South America, Ecuador, Valdivian, Earliest Horizon, ca. 2300 to 2000 BCE. A hand carved, light grey limestone palette of a curved, quasi-rectangular form with boldly cut lines delineating a perched owl, its visage skillfully rendered from one continuous incised curved line that remarkably delineates all the facial features - a pair of rounded square eyes, a straight nose, and a linear mouth. Beyond this, the minimalist approach of the sculptor delineates the neckline, torso, legs, and wings of this nocturnal creature in an abstract manner that ironically resonates with a modern aesthetic. Owls were widely symbolic in the Pre-Columbian world, considered Shamanic, guiding humans on their journeys to other worlds, the divine, and death. In some cultures an anthropomorphic owl represented a warrior or war god. 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: 5.5" W x 9.5" H (14 cm x 24.1 cm); 10.25" H (26 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 Atlanta, GA collection, ex Kramer collection acquired 1960 to 1980

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#117952

Surface wear with a few chips to back, peripheries, and lower left corner, scratches here and there, and mineral deposits as shown.