Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 200 to 800 CE. An absolutely gorgeous and quite sizeable jadeite bead presenting an elegant and perfectly symmetrical design featuring a raised central bifurcated section with emerging cylindrical forms to either side. The jade itself boasts gorgeous pale blue-green hues with white inclusions. So skillfully string-cut and boasting an incredibly smooth finish, this is a wondrous example, ready to be strung on your favorite chain or display as a work of lapidary artistry! Size: 3" L x .75" in diameter (7.6 cm x 1.9 cm)
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. Jade would have come to Costa Rica in the form of axe-blades (celts) that would then be worked by local artisans into various forms, including beads like this one. The exoticism of stone that had traveled so far probably contributed to the value of these objects in ancient Costa Rica. By 800 CE, gold had replaced jade as the luxurious material de rigueur; however, during its day, this piece and other jadeworks of such high quality were most coveted.
Provenance: private Palm Beach, Florida, USA collection
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#148815
Condition
There is a fissure at one end that stabilized itself by accumulating minerals within. Laterally perforated and ready to string on your favorite chain or simply appreciate as a little work of art.