New England Effigy

Charl · Feb 16, 2012

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.

bluehunter1973 · Feb 16, 2012

great find

flintmel · Feb 16, 2012

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

Snakeman · Feb 16, 2012

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

The Grim Reaper · Feb 16, 2012

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

Very cool piece.

Americus · Feb 16, 2012

I can't imagine finding something like that!

catherine1 · Feb 16, 2012

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

Charl · Feb 17, 2012

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 · Feb 17, 2012

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 · Feb 17, 2012

SOHIO said:
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 · May 12, 2014

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 · May 12, 2014

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 · May 12, 2014

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

Americus · May 12, 2014

That is an incredible find. Thanks for sharing.

GatorBoy · May 12, 2014

It was posted in 2012

Charl · May 13, 2014

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 · May 13, 2014

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

Charl · May 13, 2014

GatorBoy said:
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 · May 13, 2014

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....