Valdivian Terracotta Idol

Culture: Ecuador

Period: 3800–2300 B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 9 cm high

Price: 600 Euro

Ref: 11114

Provenance: Austrian private collection of Prof. Josef Mairitsch (1938-1994) with the inventory number M 170. Acquired between 1960 and the early 1980s. In family ownership since then. With a collection note and the copy of inventory list.

Condition: Unrestored, with an ancient break on the lower left side.

Description: Hand-shaped solid-colour statuette of a stylised animal, probably a monkey, with a tubular body and excessively long arms. The figure has a large head with deep eye sockets and protruding ears. The nose is long and prominent, the mouth with thick lips slightly open. The slit-shaped eyes peer out from round eyelids. The long left arm is striking, resting at the side and touching the private parts with the hand at the front. The right arm is significantly shorter and bent at the front. The statuette can be attributed to the Valdivia culture, which was mainly found along the rivers of Ecuador's coastal region. The name originates from the small coastal town of Valdivia in the province of Guayas, where these figures were also first discovered. With an old collection note. Mounted on a base.