Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Manteno culture, ca. 800 to 1500 CE. A group of five hand-made pottery spindle whorls, each with an incised pelican motif. Spindle whorls are perforated disks that were used in the production of spun fiber, and as a result are the most common evidence for the production of textiles in the Pre-Columbian New World from southern Mexico. However, they also have meaning for our understanding of that world beyond just the utilitarian; these were individual items made by women, many of which reflect the pride that they took in making them and giving them unique motifs. The pelicans on these spindle whorls would have reminded their makers of supernatural figures able to traverse the multiple planes of physical and spiritual existence. Size of largest: 0.65" W (1.7 cm)

Provenance: ex-Hank Johnson collection, Denver, Colorado, USA; ex-HD-Enterprise, Denver, Colorado, USA

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#129859

Age-commensurate surface wear, minor fading to color and designs, with light earthen and mineral deposits, otherwise intact and very good.