Lot 4
Pre-Columbian, Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec, ca. 900 to 600 BCE. Finely carved from omphacite jade with natural swirls of butterscotch and caramel, an incredibly expressive depiction of a shaman in the intense moment of were-jaguar transformation! Note how the eyes squint to appear feline as the nose broadens and lips extend outwards, as though beginning to form the snout of the beast. A marvelously strange blend of human and jaguar physiognomy; scholars posit that Olmec were-jaguars portray shamans during their metamorphosis into their supernatural counterpart as they engage in visionary trances, perhaps induced by powerful hallucinogens. A truly exceptional full maskette! Size: 4.2" W x 4.6" H (10.7 cm x 11.7 cm); 9.8" H (24.9 cm) on included custom stand.
The attention to detail on this piece is quite impressive. Note the pierced ears (presumably for suspending ornaments), the expressive lips and cleft palette of the jaguar mouth, the full nose with pierced nostrils, and the stylized elliptical-shaped eyes. 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.
Research in the late 1990s and early 2000s pinpointed the source of what is colloquially referred to as "Olmec blue" jade in the lowland Motagua River near the modern-day border of Guatemala and Honduras; jade from this source was carved and traded widely throughout early Mesoamerica. The value of jade for ancient people lay in their symbolic power: perhaps green was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place greenstone and jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jade contributed to the rise of long-distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica. This jade mask would have been regarded as an exceedingly valuable and rare piece of ceremonial art.
Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010
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#174835
- Condition: Small chip to proper right side of upper lip. Some minor nicks and scratches. Otherwise, intact and excellent with impressively preserved detail.
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