Wonderful large ceremonial hacha from the Valdivian culture, Ecuador. Green diorite
stone with nice delineation between colors. Highly polished. Measures 14.5"/36.83cm
in height by 9"/22.86cm wide, 16.5"/41.91cm mounted. Weight: 11.5 lbs.
Santa Elena, Ecuador. 4400 - 1450 BC. Choice condition.
These extraordinary large stone axes were symbolic and interred as payment to mother
earth.
The Museo Chileno of Precolumbian Art describes these as “Lithophones”.
These kinds of objects are only known through archeological studies in northwest
South America and usually been described as”ceremonial axes”.
During the Late Formative period, there developed a great interest and desire for
green stones in general. They were exotic in most areas and would have been sought
in exchange over long distances as it became widespread use in domestic and mortuary
contexts. The dramatic growth in popularity of green stones also occurred at about
the same time in Mesoamerica.