Lot 95
Pre-Columbian, Aztec, pre-1500 CE. Scholars believe that stamps such as this were used to adorn cloth, paper, or the human body for ceremonial rituals. Geometric and abstract motifs were popular, sometimes animals like monkeys and eagles or stylized versions of Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent, and other abstract figures, likely deities or heroes as well. These would have been hand made, in a tradition going back some two millennia (2,000 years) before the Aztecs. Evidence from finds at Tlatilco, a large pre-conquest village in the Valley of Mexico, shows that even the earliest (roller-shaped) baked clay stamps (occasional stone, copper and bone ones have been found) were used by common folk as well as the better-off, to apply ink or paint to clothing, paper, or to the body. Roller-shaped stamps - that sometimes had two ingenious parallel lines running lengthwise to act as margin guides for printing onto sashes and belts!) - gave way to simpler, flatter models hundreds of years before the Aztecs came on the scene. Colorful dyes were made from charcoal and pine (for black), lime (white), cinnabar (bright scarlet mercury ore), cochineal, indigo and other materials. Printing with stamps was among ancient Mexicans and continues today to be a relished folk art. Sizes: 3-1/8" x 1-1/2"; 2-1/2" x 2-1/8"; 2-1/8" x 1-1/2". Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, IL, acquired prior to 1970. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #102419
- Condition: Minor wear and losses to peripheries as shown.
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| 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 |