A GROUP OF TERRACOTTA STATUETTES, PERU Valdivia culture, Circa 3rd Millennium B.C. Including four fragmentary figures with characteristic large coiffures, one example with linear incisions, indicating the waves of the hair, and a figure with large, prominent breasts, all figures with schematic incised facial features, 3.8 - 5.7cm high, (5) Provenance: French private collection. Footnotes: The Valdivia culture is one of the oldest Pre-Columbian cultures, producing figurines in both stone and pottery. The most widely known pottery type from Valdivia are female figures, such as those in this lot, sometimes referred to as Venus figures, and are thought to be representations of real individuals indicated by the varied coiffures.