Lot 224
Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 1 to 800 CE. An incredible deep green jadeite mace head carved in highly abstract, anthropomorphic form. Drilling and string-cutting by ancient artisans have created a surface that is recognizably animal when taken as a whole but appears composed of strange, almost alien parts. Raised cylinders, drilled to be hollow, form the eyes and nostrils, while the mouth is hollowed out and open. This may be a caiman or serpent head. The jade has a few light brown veins and its dominant, rich green color reminds the viewer of lush rainforest. Size: 3.8" L x 2.05" W x 1.75" H (9.7 cm x 5.2 cm x 4.4 cm)
The value of jade for people in ancient Central America lay in its symbolic power: its color seems to have been associated with water and vegetation and jade items were often given to the dead; north of Costa Rica, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the creation of long distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica. Jade would have come to Costa Rica in the form of axe-blades (celts) that would then be worked by local artisans into pendants like this one. The exoticism of stone that had traveled so far probably contributed to the value of these objects in ancient Costa Rica.
Provenance: private Vaught Collection, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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#124076
- Condition: Repaired from two pieces, with repair difficult to see. Piece has been repolished in modern times.
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