Lot 112
Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec, ca. 900 to 500 BCE. A superb Olmec pendant or charm, of a standing shaman figure that is masterfully rendered from a greenstone into a flattened form, the head pierced through for suspension. The head and visage depicted with quintessentially were-jaguar facial details including a downturned jaguar mouth, slanted eyes, full cheeks, and long ears that are biconically drilled for the suspension of ornaments. Figurines like this were highly symbolic, although their full meaning is lost today- the shaman may represent the intense process of were-jaguar transformation! Scholars have proposed that the flattened and elongated heads of these figures are indicative of the artificial cranial deformation practiced by the Olmec. An exemplar of Olmec sculpture, impressive for its technique, iconography! Size: 2" L x 1" W (5.1 cm x 2.5 cm); case: 4.25" L x 3.25" W (10.8 cm x 8.3 cm)
The attention to detail on this piece is quite impressive. Note the expressive lips and cleft palette of the jaguar mouth, the full nose with pierced nostrils, and the stylized elliptical-shaped eyes. Jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world; hence, warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. Olmec were-jaguars portray shamans during their metamorphosis into their supernatural counterpart as they engage in visionary trances, perhaps induced by powerful hallucinogens.
Provenance: private Pennsylvania, USA collection, acquired before 2004
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#177145
- Condition: Minor nicks and chips, otherwise intact and excellent. Light mineral deposits in the recessed areas. Comes in a Riker case.
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