Description:

Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Guanacaste-Nicoya Culture, ca. 200 BCE to 600 CE. A green stone ceremonial mace in the form of a bird with a centrally pierced shaft hole. Created by string cutting and drilling, the bird has enormous eyes, short wings, and an insect-like body. A short, closed beak and some kind of small crests on the head complete the image of the bird. Size: 5.7" L x 2" W x 2.5" H (14.5 cm x 5.1 cm x 6.4 cm)

The ancient Costa Ricans were influenced by the Olmec to their north, and their love of greenstone for the elite members of the society is one sign of that. This mace head would never have been used in war, but instead as a ceremonial object, denoting the status and wealth of its bearer.

Provenance: Ex Collection of Will Barnet, (b. 1911) an American artist known for his paintings, watercolors, drawings, and prints depicting casual scenes of daily life and in transcendent dreamlike worlds. A longtime resident of the National Arts Club, Barnet died in New York City on November 13, 2012, at the age of 101.

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#119366

  • Condition: Intact. Excellent signs of age on surface. Something may be missing from the top of the head but it is unclear.

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January 19, 2017 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
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