Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mayan territories, ca. 550-800 CE. This earspool is exquisite for its brilliant, deep green hue and near-perfect form, a remarkable feat given the hardness of jadeite. Perhaps the most interesting and dramatic form of body adornment for the Maya has been the piercing of the ears in order to don ear spools or flares. Although scholars believe that most if not all adults wore ear spools, the number of ancient examples that have survived is surprisingly small. These are rare archaeological finds! The design of the Maya ear flare was originally inspired by the nocturnal flower of the Ceiba tree, believed by the Maya to be the tree of life! The workmanship involved in crafting ear spools was painstaking, and examples such as this one were created by specialists hired by the rulers and elite. The first step involved shaping the raw material with a solid edge saw and abrasive material or using a tubular saw to cut cores from large pieces of green stone. Once this was done, the stone could be shaped and polished with finer materials. Given the hardness of jadeite, just imagine what expertise and patience were required of these artisans! Note: This example also has a perforation for suspension as a pendant if desired. ~3/4"L x ~1"D at widest

Provenance: Ex-Nick Poolos, Illinois, USA

All items offered for sale are legal to buy/sell under U.S. statutes covering cultural patrimony per United States Code 2600, CHAPTER 14 -- CONVENTION ON CULTURAL PROPERTY, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids, papered by our parent company, Artemis Gallery Ancient Art.

  • Condition: Near Choice

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March 14, 2014 9:00 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