Palmer Notched Incised. Carved stone figurine with face and legs indicated (notched).
This beautiful Formative period stone is orange in color due to the enriched iron
and magnesium matrix in which it was found. Deep incised carving creates this more
elaborate charming face. Breast are also well defined. Very large and rare piece.
These finer type stones start to appear in stage 3-4. Mineral and sediment deposits
in incised areas.
Choice condition.
Measures 7”/17.78 cm in height. Santa Elena, Ecuador Ca 2300 BC - 1450 BC.
Ex. Landazuri Family Estate Acquired in the 1970s., Ex. B. Burns Collection New York,
NY
Similar examples published in Ancient Ecuador - Culture, Clay and Creativity 3000-300
B.C. Also appear at Casa del Alabado Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Quito, Ecuador.
Palmers Stones represents the earliest known appearance of human figurines in the
New World. The range from simple ground plaques (Phase 1) to elaborately carved representations
in which the facial features are clearly indicated and hands are depicted as a feather
or rake-like design. The stone prisms are turned into human effigies by low relief
carving emphasizing the eyes and hands. The progressive sequence of stone figurines
are from the simple rectangular plaque, to plaques with a groove indicating the division
between the legs, to the more detailed depiction of the human face and limbs (Phase
2).