Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mayan, Peten, Guatemala, ca. 500 CE. A wonderfully evocative piece, a long flute in the form of a mythical serpent's head - representing Kukulkan (Quetzalcoatl in Aztec Nahuatl, sometimes called Gukumatz in parts of the Maya world), a powerful "feathered serpent" venerated throughout ancient Mesoamerica. The head is long and fierce, with three horns and a curled snout above a fierce row of teeth. Behind the head, the flute shape smooths into a cylinder, with two holes near the narrower, conical mouthpiece. Kukulkan's meaning to the Maya world is not fully understood, but we know that for the Aztecs, the same figure is associated with the wind, the creation of arts and crafts, and knowledge. A serpent is sometimes used in Mayan iconography as the embodiment of the sky itself. Size: 7.7" L x 2.1" H (19.6 cm x 5.3 cm)

Provenance: private Vaught Collection, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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#122563

  • Condition: Piece is intact, with overpainting on the lower part of the face. Manganese deposits present around the full face. Still playable!

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May 18, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$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
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