Description:

Pre-Columbian, Maya, Peten, Guatemala, Late Classic, ca. 600 to 800 CE. The monkey plays a prominent role in Pre-Columbian mythology. The Maya believed there was an earlier time when the "wooden people" were destroyed by floods and became monkeys. In the Popol Vuh, the older half brothers of the Hero Twins are named One Monkey (Hun batz) and One Artisan (Hun chosen). Once defeated by the Hero Twins and converted into monkeys, they became the deified patrons of the arts. The Aztecs believed that survivors of the violent end of the second era were transformed into monkeys. This epoch was ruled by Quetzalcoatl, the creator god, and monkeys and Quetzalcoatl were linked as vitalizing, creative powers. Above all, monkeys were believed to be ancestral to mankind. This mold-made simian head features a wide-eyed toothy grimace, but perhaps most intriguing is the fact that the artisan revealed the monkey's brain replete with a painstakingly delineated cerebral cortex. Perforations one the sides of the neck as well as three more on the top of the head indicate that additional elements - perhaps a costume and headdress - were attached to the form at one time. 2-1/2"T x 2-1/4"W x 2-3/4"D Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, IL, acquired prior to 1970 All items in this auction have been legally acquired, are legal to sell, and 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. The starting price is the lowest price at which the lot can sell.

  • Condition: Near choice if not choice! Once attached to other elements lost to time.

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January 24, 2014 9:00 AM MST
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