Lot 131B
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Pre-Columbian, Maya, most likely Guatemala, late Preclassic to early Classic period, ca. 100 BCE to 300 CE. An important stone stela or boundary marker of an impressive scale and ovoid form, presenting the relief of an anthropomorphic visage - possibly of a lord or deity - crowned by a lengthy, sawtooth-pattern headdress that travels down both peripheries. Red pigment envelops the front side. This stela bears a striking resemblance to stone altars at the Kaminaljuyu archeological site in Guatemala - one of the largest Preclassic settlements in the southern Maya empire. An imposing yet minimalist example from the Preclassic Maya empire! Size: 13.5" W x 52.5" H (34.3 cm x 133.4 cm)
Maya artists were specialists who produced ceramics, stone sculptures, and jewelry of jade and shell. The Maya word for artist is its'at, which means "wise man" or "sage." Maya artisans used obsidian chisels and knives and mallets and hammers made of flint and wood to create their sculptures into three-dimensional monuments. The Spaniards wrote of the Aztecs believing that stone quarried to be carved had magical properties and was alive, able to speak and offer prophecies.
This piece was published in "Fine Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art, June 18th, 2007, Auction 42" Arte Primitivo, Howard S. Rose Gallery, Inc., no. 256.
Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired June 18, 2007, Lot 256; ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA
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#175122
- Condition: Professionally repaired with light restoration. Expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, nicely preserved with ample remaining detail and liberal earthen deposits.
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