Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 1 to 800 CE. An incredibly rare form of jade axe pendant, a sacred class of artifact found in ancient Costa Rican tombs. Carved three dimensionally, it is in the form of a profile figure with an anthropomorphic body, an avian head, and holding a fish by the tail in its raised arms. The figure stands in a slight crouch, with its arms raised to display its prize; the fish's face is clearly visible carved on one side of the pendant. The head has a bulging, disc-like eye and a crest above its beak-like mouth. This figure may be a shaman taking on the powers of a bird in order to capture fish! An opening at the neck would have allowed to be to worn. Size: 1.9" W x 4.9" H (4.8 cm x 12.4 cm)
The value of jade for people in ancient Central America lay in its symbolic power: its color seems to have been associated with water and vegetation and jade items were often given to the dead; north of Costa Rica, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the creation of long distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica. Jade would have come to Costa Rica in the form of axe-blades (celts) that would then be worked by local artisans into pendants like this one. The exoticism of stone that had traveled so far probably contributed to the value of these objects in ancient Costa Rica.
Provenance: ex-Craig Hendrix collection, South Carolina, USA; ex-Charles Craig Jr. collection, Costa Rica, acquired in the 1960s and 1970s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#154102
Condition
Excellent condition with very light pitting and scratching on the surface.