Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Earliest Horizon, Valdivian, ca. 2300 to 2000 BCE. A skillfully-executed limestone carving of a wide-eyed owl visage with streaming tear marks on a quasi-ovoid plank. The sculptor carved the bird of prey's visage with bold and deeply-carved straight lines on a rough grey limestone with nice mineral deposits. This aesthetic boasts attractive minimalism that appeals with our modern sensibilities and, yet, bespeaks of the ancient world. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 6.25" W x 5" H (15.9 cm x 12.7 cm); 6.625" H (16.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Ancient stone steles from Ecuador like this example are among the oldest stone sculptures known to exist in the Americas, dating as far back as 3500 BCE. While each stele is unique, they do share a few common thematic characteristics. They are usually carved from a pearly-grey colored stone and are for the most part "blockish" in form, though this example shows rounded contours. The four most prominent themes include the owl, the serpent/arrow, the sun chart, and the star chart.

The owl was widely-symbolic in the Pre-Columbian world - revered as the creature who carried the sun during the night to ensure that it would always arise in the morning. Owls were considered of shamanic importance, guiding humans on their journeys to other worlds, the divine, and death. In some cultures, an anthropomorphic owl represented a warrior or war god. As a nocturnal bird of prey, the owl was also associated with night hunters, darkness, and the Underworld.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Patrick Hardy collection, Houston, Texas, USA

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#133919

Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, small nicks and chips along peripheries, obverse, and reverse, with some light discoloration. Nice earthen and mineral deposits throughout.