Description:

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 100 to 800 CE. A jadeite axe pendant carved into a dramatic zoomorphic form - a serpent with a stepped body and a janiform body so that there are heads with shallowly drilled, circular eyes at either end. The edges have been fretted in many areas, and a single opening is drilled through low on the body so that this item could be worn or sewn onto clothing. Size: 1.5" W x 4.7" H (3.8 cm x 11.9 cm)

The value of jade for people in ancient Central America lay in its symbolic power: perhaps its color was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the rise of long distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica.

Provenance: ex-Craig Hendrix collection, South Carolina, USA; ex-Charles Craig Jr. collection, Costa Rica, acquired in the 1960s and 1970s

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#154105

  • Condition: Very light surface wear, otherwise in excellent condition. Light deposits on lower profile areas.

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October 8, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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