Pintadera

Pintaderas are a form of stamp used by the pre-Hispanic natives of the Canary Islands. They were commonly made of fired clay. However, a number of wooden pintaderas have also been found. Most pintaderas come from archaeological sites in Gran Canaria, although natives from other islands in the Canarian archipelago used them too. Pintaderas were usually decorated with ornate geometric shapes, including zigzags, triangles, rectangles, squares and circles. These decorative motifs are similar to those found on pre-Hispanic Canarian pottery. Similar geometric patterns can also be seen in pre-Hispanic Canarian rock art (e.g., Cueva Pintada de Gáldar)