EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBAncient Valdivia Stone Block Sculpture
About Seller
522 South Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
United States
Sarasota Estate Auction specializes in a wide variety of furniture, antiques, fine art, lighting, sculptures, and collectibles. Andrew Ford, owner and operator of the company, has a passion for finding the best pieces of art and antiques and sharing those finds with the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $250 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $500 |
| $20,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $5,000 |
| $250,000 | $10,000 |
About Auction
LiveMar 30, 2025
Over 900 lots will be offered in day 2 of our 2 day auction weekend! There are multiple lots of important fine art from landscapes and etchings to old masters and portraits. We have a Lifetime Collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Lalique, and Steuben Glass, Antique Maps, Oriental Rugs, Sterling Silver, Imperial Embroidered Chinese Robes, Rare Books, Old Master Paintings, and more! Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
View Full Catalog (951)
- Lot Description
Ancient Valdivia Stone Block Sculpture. An exceptional piece from Ecuador ca. 3500 - 1200 BC. The light greenish-grey limestone is carved with morphic human/owl figures on all surfaces, suggesting shamanic representations.
Condition: Commensurate with age.
Provenance: Originally from the Peter Hacinto Collection in New York City, acquired by the consignor through Arte Xibalba in Osprey, Florida.
Size: 3 3/4 x 3 x 5 1/2 in.
#6307 .
The Valdivia people, originating in what is now Ecuador, endured for nearly two millennia, from around 3500 BC until 1900 BC. Little is known about them aside from minor archaeological finds, as well as what survived in the legends and writings of later pre-Columbian cultures. They were the first formative civilization of the region to create figural art for ritual use, mainly working in stone and clay and later in ceramic. The Valdivia culture relied on a mixed agricultural economy centered upon cultivating crops such as maize, beans, manioc, chili peppers, and gourds in tandem with hunting and fishing and the gathering of wild plants, making their mythology, religion, clothing, and much more revolve around the seasons and the bounty of the earth. Their strong agricultural foundation allowed the Valdivia to construct ceremonial centers, boasting plazas and elaborate elite burials associated with shamanistic practices, communal meals, and the ingestion of psychotropic substances. Additional evidence indicates that the Valdivia were engaged in long-distance terrestrial trade into the Amazon basin, with settlements discovered on the Puná and La Plata islands showing they were capable of voyages into the wide Pacific Ocean as well. Their forms and technological advances influenced primarily later Andean cultures such as the Chorrera and Chavin, and the reason for their demise is still unknown, attributed possibly to environmental factors including earthquakes, volcanic activity, and decades-long periods of drought. Most surviving pottery pieces include stela, some of the oldest stone sculptures in the New World, and are often block-like and cubist in form, with recessed grooves in the grey-green sandstone indicating a depiction of shamans undergoing mystical transformations. Many later cultures borrowed from the rituals, designs, and architecture of the Valdivia, and to this day some folk art in the region heavily resembles the works made by the ancestors of the current indigenous peoples some five thousand years before.
Condition
Commensurate with age.
- Provenance
Originally from the Peter Hacinto Collection in New York City, acquired by the consignor through Arte Xibalba in Osprey, Florida.
- Shipping Info
-
SHIPPING INFORMATION·
Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.
BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com
-
- Payment & Auction Policies
-
Available payment options
We accept all major credit cards, wire transfers, money orders, checks and PayPal. Please give us a call at (941) 359-8700 or email us at SarasotaEstateAuction@gmail.com to take care of your payments.
-
-
- Buyer's Premium
- Size
3 3/4 x 3 x 5 1/2 in.
