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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Art of Ecuador : Chorrera Terracotta Fertility Goddess
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Chorrera Terracotta Fertility Goddess - PF.2427
Origin: Ecuador
Circa: 1100
BC
to 300
BC
Dimensions:
6.5" (16.5cm) high
x 2.875" (7.3cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Chorrera
Medium: Terracotta
$6,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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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.
Compelling in appearance, this pregnant mother
Goddess is a beautiful example of Ancient
Ecuadorian ceramic art. This mother Goddess
image
exemplifies the remarkable creative efforts of
the Chorrera culture, for she expresses a host of
Universal sensibilities that can be felt and
understood by all who experience her. She
stands before us on short conical-shaped legs
with delicate arms resting across her swollen
belly, which immediately focuses our rapt
attention upon her fertile, womanliness. Large
breasts and ample hips further accentuate her
fecund female qualities while at the same time a
distinctive face and hairdo distinguish her as a
Chorrera artist's unique work of art. This ancient
and powerful ceramic figure is truly a symbol of
the primal mother Goddess, representing the
abundance and stability of earth, the never-
ending cycle of life, death and renewal. She
evokes from within all who behold her
wonderful, loving and well-nurtured feelings.
- (PF.2427)
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