Description:

Native American, Southern United States, Mississippi County Arkansas, Mississippian ca. 200 to 1000 CE. A rectangular piece of cannel coal finely carved with linear shapes that form an avian creature. The lower portion has a fanned tail, with pointed and outstretched wings above, and a neck that curves upward. While the head is missing, a line which may form part of the beak curves downward. Mississippian artisans depicted a variety of birds that are still common today, including song birds, birds of prey such as hawks, owls, and eagles, and waterfowl. However this may be a representation of a thunderbird, a mythological spirit animal that is depicted as a giant eagle. Cannel coal, also known as candle coal, is a fragile yet finely compacted bituminous material that has been shaped into jewelry or ritualistic objects since Neolithic times. This is a fine example of a larger ritualistic item! Size (cannel slab): 3" L x 2.375" W (7.6 cm x 6 cm); (case): 5.125" L x 1" W x 6.125" H (13 cm x 2.5 cm x 15.6 cm)

Provenance: private Kansas City, Missouri, USA collection, ex-John Townsend collection, formed in the 1970s and earlier

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#161635

  • Condition: Fragment of a larger piece as shown. Losses to peripheries and verso. Surface scratches and abrasions. Light mineral deposits.

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February 18, 2021 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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