350 BCE - 600 CE EXTRAORDINARILY RARE Jama Coaque Tree of Life Altar, Ancient Coastal Ecuador

This is an especially rare artifact of the Jama Coaque Culture, an altar of the tree of life.

This amazing piece was used by the Shamans as an alter to the Gods drawing all the powers of the earth into the cosmos with the sacrificial burning.

The Shamans acted as a mediator between mortals and the supernatural world.

In Mesoamerica the tree of life is the Ceiba tree, whose trunk, the Axis Mundi, connected the underworld with our world on the surface of the earth and to the worlds of the sky and was the point where the six directions came together. (North, South, East, West, Zenith- the Cosmos and Nadir- Earthly Underworld).

The expressive countenance is defined by its surrounding celestial patterns, detailed with several different earth pigments.

The town of Jama derives its name from the fascinating Jama-Coaque people who inhabited the forested landscapes that surrounded the coastline of the Manabi provinces northern Ecuador region. They are an ancient civilization that inhabited the region several thousand years ago, They were in fact such an advanced community that they took on trade expeditions to Chile and Mexico.

The Jama-Coaque communities were skilled in creating ceramic pottery items as well, which again showed that they were a very sophisticated tribe. The pottery recovered from the sites is on display at the Jama Municipal Museum. Tragically, the entire culture was lost when the Spanish invaded Ecuador on a mission to conquer the Inca Empire.

Low Reserve

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 winning bid.