Included in this lot is a Pre-Columbian Carved Stone Head. Provenance: Private collection Big Sky, Montana. Pre-Columbian art encompasses the visual arts traditions of the native peoples of North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, from approximately 13,000 BCE to the start of European invasions in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In many regions, the Pre-Columbian era persisted or experienced a transitional period following these invasions. Various kinds of perishable Pre-Columbian artifacts, like woven textiles, have not survived, although examples of Pre-Columbian ceramics, monumental sculpture, pottery, metalwork in gold, as well as paintings on walls and rocks have endured more frequently. Pre-Columbian Visual art was particularly concerned with how humanity fits into the natural and metaphysical realms, our role in the machinations of the cosmos, and ancestral histories. Pre-Columbian art was used for keeping records, calculating, trading, and correspondence. The term “Pre-Columbian” is typically used to refer to the entire region encompassing all of the Americas and affiliated islands. This carved figurine appears to be of either a deity or possibly a local chieftain or shaman due to the crown-like headcovering. Oftentimes such small figurines represented "good" spirits that were believed to exercise beneficial powers over day to day life. The figurines would be adorned in a family shelter to provide "protection" to the inhabitants from "evil" spirits. This carved stone head figurine is in amazingly good condition considering its age. The reddish-brown stone has very minor chipping noted. Measures 3.25"H x 2.75"D x 1.5"W approximate. Weight approximate 4oz