Figure

One of the earliest sculptural traditions of the ancient Americas was that of the Valdivia culture, which began around 3550 bce along the Pacific coast of present-day Ecuador. Valdivian artists created figures out of both stone and ceramic, portraying men, women, and animals in a variety of sizes. Sculptures such as this one are believed to depict a stylized owl, perhaps with supernatural associ- ations related to the bird’s nocturnal habits.