Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Aztec Empire, ca. 1400 to 1521 CE. I love this one! A gorgeous ancient pale purple and white amethyst snake's head, with two piercings at the back of the head as it was probably once a pendant. The eyes and nostrils are deeply drilled and the eyes probably once had inlays. It is set into a modern 73% gold (15K+) ring. The Aztec seem to have had a special affinity for beautiful stones and they were particularly skilled at carving hard stones in ways that highlighted their individual colors and translucent or opaque qualities. Lapidary artists were highly respected members of their society and their work was called "toltecayotl", or "the Toltec thing" because, like much Aztec art, it was inspired by the Toltecs who came before them. Size of pendant: 0.95" W (2.4 cm); gold ring is 73% gold, equivalent to 15K+; ring size is US: 6; total weight: 19.4 g
The symbolism of the snake was central to Aztec religion; the mother goddess, Coatlicue, takes her name from the Nahuatl for "snake" and "skirt" - "she who has the skirt of snakes". In numerous carvings known from Tenochtitlan and other Aztec cities, she is depicted wearing her skirt made of writhing rattlesnakes, her head formed by the heads of two serpents who face each other, wearing a necklace made of human skulls, hearts, and hands. Beyond their association with the goddess, the snake's skin shedding was seen as symbolic of the cyclical nature of life and agriculture.
Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA collection
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#145428
Condition
Amethyst is ancient, gold ring is modern. Amethyst has a tiny chip from the nose and light deposits on its surface; otherwise in beautiful condition.