Description:

Pre-Columbian, probably Costa Rica or Panama, ca. 1 to 500 CE. Carved from a single piece of hefty stone of earthy sage green hues, a mace head with a jaguar head carved in extremely high relief (nearly in the round) at one end. The wild feline presents a fierce and alert expression with raised ears, wide open concave circular eyes, and an open mouth brandishing sharp fangs. The jaguar symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. In the Pre-Columbian world, figural maces were not only weapons but also symbolic objects, carried by rulers and shamans as visible signs of their power. Just imagine the intimidating individual who one wielded this mace head! Size: 6.25" L x 2.75" H (15.9 cm x 7 cm)

Provenance: ex-Karkashian collection, Florida, USA; acquired by the late John Karkashian when he worked for the US State Department in South and Central America from 1957 to 1968

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#144503

  • Condition: Old nicks/chips to ears, upper and lower rims of central perforation, back terminal, and other high pointed areas. Surface deposits as shown.

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March 21, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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