Description:

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec, ca. 1000 to 400 BCE. A dramatic maskette carved from jade of verdant green hues w/ white inclusions - expertly modeled with graceful, subtle contours, displaying signature Olmec traits - a jowly face, downturned jaguar mouth, and slanted eyes. The misshapened head is a sign of high status due to an artificial cranial deformation, as Olmec traditionally wore tight-fitting helmets. Superb, from the oldest major civilization in Mexico! Custom stand. Size: 1.625" W x 1.625" H (4.1 cm x 4.1 cm); 3.5" H (8.9 cm) on stand

To the Olmecs, masks and maskettes like this example carried many meanings, not all of which are obvious to us today; however, scholars surmise that the color green was associated with vibrant growth, renewal, and given the cyclical conception of life and death, rejuvenation after death. Bilaterally perforated for suspension or attachment

Provenance: Ex- Historia Antiques, Santa Monica, acquired around 2006.

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#120206

  • Condition: Choice with areas of red cinnabar.

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March 15, 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
$200,000 + $25,000