Description:

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, Nicoya, ca. 400 to 800 CE. A fine metate, carved from one piece of volcanic stone, with a generous curved grinding table, the skirt of which is adorned with a scalloped edge that is actually comprised of repeated miniature abstract animorphic heads (perhaps mini jaguars as the jaguar was revered in the Pre-Columbian world) standing upon four legs. Metates were created to grind foods such as corn, certainly a utilitarian purpose; however, they evolved into meaningful ritual objects that were much more than mere tools, replete with strong iconography and intriguing sculptural forms have transformed these objects into much more than a tool. Size: 17.75" L x 10" deep x 8.5" H (45.1 cm x 25.4 cm x 21.6 cm)

Provenance: Ex-private upstate NY collection.

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#113745

  • Condition: Legs have been repaired. Small losses to perimeter of table. Nevertheless, quite an elegant work.

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June 2, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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