Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero/Mezcala, ca. 500 BCE to 500 CE. A large greenstone earspool, round with finely carved and burnished thin walls, the stone inherently beautiful with verdant hues and marvelous patterning resulting from white and beige inclusions. Custom stand. Size: 1.625" in diameter (4.1 cm); 3" H (7.6 cm) on stand

Only the most elite personages in Mesoamerican society were able to wear ear spools made of jadeite. Ancient Mesoamericans believed that ears were the conduits for spiritual energy, and so ear ornaments like this one took on significant meaning. Some scholars have argued that the stretching of earlobes -- done progressively through spool sizes -- may have been a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood; ear spools may also have been thought of as an extension of the ear.

Provenance: Ex-private Smith collection, Atlanta, GA

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#119950

  • Condition: Surface shows minor scratches and mineral deposits.

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March 27, 2017 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000