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 3500 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.
Bahia is closely related to the culture known as
Jama Coaque, sharing a similar style and
common chronology. They inhabited the
forested hills lining the coast of northern
Manabi. The city of San Isidro was their cultural
and ceremonial center, featuring several temples
surmounting a large pyramid. Similar to the
Bahia, Jama Coaque is known for its large
terracotta figures, typically sculptured in a
variety actions and poses. Ceremonial figures
are also well-know, typically formed with the
arms held along their sides, palms facing
outwards.
With her youthful form and arms held out at her
sides, this female figure appears to be
uninhibited to reveal to the world her natural
livelihood of beauty and grace. Her lunate eyes
under arched brows at one time gazed upward
into the heavenly skies, but the black paint of
her pupils has since vanished with the ages of
time. Traces of ochre and blue-green paint still
remain on areas of her body and jewelry. Not
only is she a natural beauty, she has an exalted
status as well which is shown by her multiple
bracelets, collar and ear clips. Her mouth is open
underneath her crescent-shaped nose ornament
as if she is singing or simply allowing the
freedom of her spirit to chant "ahhhhh". This
peaceful flowing composition is extended to the
top of her head, which is adorned with a domed
turban with flaps extending to mid-ear. Her
beauty and grace reaches beyond any time or
place and exerts an aura of peace, tranquility and
inner bliss.
