The Pre-Columbian cultures of Ecuador are
among the oldest in South America and among
the first to master the art of pottery. Although
we know little about the peoples themselves or
their traditions, historians have been able to
piece together a picture of life in Ancient
Ecuador thanks in part to the art and artifacts left
behind. The culture of Valdivia created some of
the oldest known works of art in the Americas.
Situated along the coastal strip of Ecuador, the
Valdivians established a thriving society that
flourished for around two thousand years (from
approximately 4000 to 1500 B.C.). Today they
are famed for their small fertility figures,
believed to be the earliest representational works
of art in the Americas, first carved from stone,
later formed from terracotta.
Hundreds of years later after the Valdivians
disappear from the archaeological record
appears another culture to which the name
Chorrera has been attached (lasting from circa
1100-300 B.C.). Little is known about this
culture;
however, it is significant for its widespread
geographical reach. As such, their artistic style
greatly influenced those diverse cultures that
began to emerge in the final centuries of the
Chorrera period, a time historians have labeled
the Period of Regional Development.
Among the most prominent cultures that
flourished in the wake of the Chorrera are the
cultures of Bahia, Jama Coaque, and La Tolita.
Around 200 B.C., the Bahia developed along the
coastal strip in the modern province of Manabi,
lasting until approximately 600 A.D. Their
earliest terracotta works were greatly indebted to
the Chorrera; however, over the years a
distinctive style emerged characterized by large
figures adorned with detailed dress and body
ornamentation.
The Bahia phase of
Ecuadorian ceramics had several sub styles of
figurines, one of which is the Gaungala style.
Here we see a stunning example of that ceramic
style in the form of a standing figure with
flattened feet and closely held legs that curve
outward. The softly rounded lines of the legs
continue upward as the figures folded arms
bellow outward in a most aesthetically pleasing
fashion. A large rounded headdress adds to the
fine sense of balance and proportion, while
inscribed patterns on the figure give a tactile,
dimensional quality to the image. A viewing of
the figure from behind reveals a small hole in
the head and one in each shoulder, allowing the
figure to become a whistle. Perhaps if we listen
closely we can hear the mystical call of an
Ancient Ecuadorian as this ancient figure
reverberates with the sounds of a once-vibrant
culture.
