Head-fragment of a "Venus of Valdivia" · Ecuador, Valdivia · ID: 3038707
Ferdinand Anton, Munich, Germany
Robert Zink, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Description
burnished clay, characteristic bonnet-shaped hairdo, incised physiognomy;
people used to stick such figures in the ground of their cropland. This ritual “burial” of the magical idols should strengthen Mother-Earth and encourage her fertility. Quite frequently the figurines were found broken to pieces on purpose, often only their heads were left. Research calls this an act of “ritual killing”.
The object Head-fragment of a “Venus of Valdivia” with the object ID 3038707 was last part of the auction 80th Tribal Art Auction at June 27, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 128.
Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about American art and Pre-columbian art.
Comparing literature
Hoffmann, Ulrich (Hg.), Frauen des alten Amerika in Kult und Alltag, Stuttgart 2001, p. 25 f.