New England Effigy

[Charl]

This sandstone effigy was found on Narragansett Bay, RI in 1936 and is from an old collection. There is a recess behind the head and it is remindful of a turtle in side view.

 

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[bluehunter1973]

great find

 

[flintmel]

Wow, thats fantastic! I've seen faces carved in stones but nothing ever that elaborate!

 

[Snakeman]

HOLY COW...never seen anything like that from RI...thanks for shareing! Now that is as rare as hens teeth!!!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

It looks like a Pregnant Woman Effigy to me which was an Effigy used by the Indians for fertility.

Very cool piece.

 

[Americus]

I can't imagine finding something like that!

 

[catherine1]

Thanks for sharing this artifact!! It is a very nice piece of artwork/relic!!

 

[Charl]

Thanks, everyone! Here's what it looks like face down. It I were surface hunting and walked by this, I believe there's at least a better then even chance that I just keep walking!

 

[SOHIO]

That's what came to my mind when I seen it reaper. Pregnancy effigy. Very nice !! That's a museum pc right there. Do you know what time period its from?

 

[Charl]

That's what came to my mind when I seen it reaper. Pregnancy effigy. Very nice !! That's a museum pc right there. Do you know what time period its from?

Thanks, SOHIO. No, don't know the time period on this. Whenever made, I think the ancient artisan did a great job with just a little sandstone pebble. Only 1 5/8" tall. It could very well be a fertility fetish, although one naturalist and one regional archy both thought stylized turtle. Looked at in side view, I think stylized turtle as well, but considering its' "fat" appearance, fertility fetish seems very reasonable. Kind of like a North American Venus figurine from that interpretation.

 

[ICollect]

Hello,
I am interested in purchasing your stone effigy if you still own it.
I can be contacted at (310) 869-3774.
Thank you
Joe

 

[GatorBoy]

I very highly discourage you putting your telephone number out on an open forum.. I suggest you ask for someone to send you a personal message there you can trade telephone numbers if you so choose

 

[Rege-PA]

A long shot but reminds me of a Cicada shell after emerging from the ground, again, rebirth, renewal.

 

[Americus]

That is an incredible find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[GatorBoy]

It was posted in 2012

 

[Charl]

Just for clarification, I did eventually rethink this little guy not that long ago.....

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/north-american-indian-artifacts/402205-effigy-revisted.html

 

[GatorBoy]

It might be like one of those ink blot things I just can't see a frog for some reason.

 

[Charl]

It might be like one of those ink blot things I just can't see a frog for some reason.

Yeah, funny, isn't it? I can see a frog easily. The archaeologist friend who published it in one of his books, Ed Lenik(his specialty is native artistic expression, but mostly petroglyphs) felt it was intended to be seen in more then one way; for which reason he felt it depicted both a turtle in the "original" position(which is how it was pictured in the auction catalog; I never thought to look at it upside down even though at the time I could not see why it was being described in the catalog as a frog(?)), as well as a frog. He feels it was intended as a dual effigy and is revising the description for the next edition. Could be. I do know if I look at a frog in side profile, it's arms will be in that position and the eyes are atop the head, not aside the head, for which reason I see a frog easily enough, but either position it is still a bit abstract and not completely naturalistic, though it's close I think. At any rate, in the eye of the beholder....

 

[Charl]

I got this piece in Feb., 2009. Five years to the month I handed it to a friend one night, who had only seen it in photos. I handed it to him upside down in relation to the first pic in this thread. He immediately said, "hey, it's a frog!". Well, whatever, for the first time since owning it I finally understood why the auctioneer had called it a frog. It was a neat eureka moment....

 

[GatorBoy]

Sometimes all it takes is a pair of fresh eyes