**First Time At Auction**
Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Guanacaste / Nicoya region, ca. 200 to 600 CE. A hand-carved and string-cut jadeite figure depicting a transforming shaman - part man, part jaguar - with an expressive visage comprised of wide-opened, circular eyes, a broad nose, a closed mouth with full lips, and pointy ears rising above his headband. The jaguar shaman figure stands with paws held up to chest, his legs with an incised furry coat and sharp paws. The celt is aterally perforated at the neck so that it may be worn as a pendant. Size: 1" W x 5" H (2.5 cm x 12.7 cm)
Costa Rica is one of the two regions in which jade was extensively carved in the Pre-Columbian era. This example was cut and carved from an inherently beautiful stone boasting seafoam green hues mottled with russet and darker green inclusions. The value of jade for people in ancient Central America lay in its symbolic power: perhaps its color was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the rise of long distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica.
Provenance: ex Craig Hendrix collection, South Carolina, USA; ex Charles Craig Jr. collection, Costa Rica, acquired in the 1960s and 1970s
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#154106
Condition
Repaired from three large pieces along mouth and waist, with very light adhesive residue along break lines. Great smoothness across the surfaces.