Native American Artifacts & Hot Wheels
Lot 101:
Pre-Columbian Ancient Olmec Crawling Baby - Museum Grade Artifact! Ex Sotheby's 1980
This is an early Pre-Columbian Olmec artifact – 800-1000 BC. Olmec Crawling Baby with one leg upraised, sunken eyes, open mouth, domed head with two areas of incised hair and traces of painted decoration remaining. The Olmec civilization is one of the earliest and most influential cultures in Mesoamerica that thrived from approximately 1200 BCE to 500 BCE. It was the first Mesoamerican civilization that most regard as the forerunner of subsequent ancient American cultures such as the Maya and Aztecs! The Olmec civilization is considered an archaeological culture, which means that our understanding of it is primarily based on artifacts rather than texts. The craftsmanship on this piece is exquisite and highly detailed. The design used by the ancient maker allows the baby to stand in two poses as shown in the photos. It appears as stone but is made of a heavy/thick pottery which has withstood the test of time. Record of purchase from Sotheby’s in New York November 7, 1980 accompanies this piece. Also included is the original Sotheby’s catalog from that sale date. In 1980 this piece was impressive enough to fetch 330 dollars. To put that into perspective of inflation in 1980 ground in our area was around 200 an acre and now it is 7 to 10 thousand an acre. Exhibits correct manufacture and outstanding patination. Length 8 5/8" inches (21.9 cm). From the Collection of Dave Walley. Dave is one of the foremost experts on Pre-Columbian Artifacts in the North America. Guaranteed for thermoluminescence dating.
Condition: Ancient Authentic
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