Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A beautiful stone spear point created from a gorgeous chunk of mahogany obsidian (volcanic glass with iron inclusions). The piece is well-crafted, symmetrically knapped to points on both ends, obviously a large prestige item from a rare source of stone. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 1.625" W x 8.6" H (4.1 cm x 21.8 cm); 9" H (22.9 cm) on included custom stand.
Obsidian - "iztli" to them - fascinated the ancient Mesoamericans; the Aztecs even had a god, Tezcatlipoca, who was the Lord of the Smoking Obsidian Mirror. The shockingly sharp edges and points of this piece demonstrate its great allure. In a world without metal, this sharp quality was especially important for ceremonies of ritual bloodletting and human sacrifice. The difficult-to-obtain material came from volcanic sources in the Sierra Madre of Mexico and in Guatemala, traded hundreds of miles to meet the demand for sharp cutting tools and ritual objects, and then were struck using a deer antler or small hammer stone to form blades and other shapes. The Colima buried their dead in shaft tombs deep below their residences, alongside the remains of their ancestors. These tombs were richly furnished with ceramic figures, vessels, offerings, and precious stone items of jade and obsidian.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Sevilla collection, Pomona, California, USA
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#143988
Condition
Very small loss to tip of one point, otherwise intact and excellent.