Description:

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A strand of 12 carved skull beads made from oliva shell, interspersed with small turquoise and orange spiny oyster (spondylus) disc beads. Each oliva shell features a grimacing face with wide circular eyes and slit-like mouths, evoking skeletal imagery symbolic of death - a common theme in Maya iconography. These shell faces, pierced for suspension, may have once been worn as a necklace or sewn onto garments as tinklers. Shells held profound meaning in Maya cosmology, representing the sea and watery underworld of Xibalba from which life and death emerged. The skeletal appearance complements their funerary or ceremonial use, and the oliva shell itself is believed to have been used as a glyph in Maya writing. The set is currently strung on a monofilament wire and can be easily restrung or repurposed. A rare and powerful glimpse into Maya symbolism and artistry. Size of strand: 11" L (27.9 cm); skull shells: 1.75" L x 1" W (4.4 cm x 2.5 cm)

Provenance: private British Columbia, Canada collection, gifted from aunt in Tucson, Arizona, USA, acquired prior to 1994

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#192880

  • Condition: Strung on monofilament wires, can easily be restrung. Natural ossification and pitting to oliva shells, with chips and abrasions throughout.

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May 23, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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