Female Figure
Artist/Maker
Valdivia
(Ecuador)
Date3300-1500 BCE
Mediumpottery and paint
DimensionsOverall: 2 3/8 x 5/8 x 5/8 in. (6 x 1.6 x 1.6 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of Carlos F. Calderon
Terms
Object number80.0294
DescriptionThe production of votive figures, some with one hand on chin and the other over the vulva, was characteristic of female images of many native American groups, such as the Iroquois - for whom it was a charm against witchcraft, no a gesture of modesty. Valdivian examples were also depicted with androgynous characteristics, pregnant, seated on benches, and always with very well-defined hairstyles which oft-times resembled a phallus.On View
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