Exemplary Olmec Rio Pesquero Greenstone Maskette

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Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Dec 2, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-12-02 10:00:00 2021-12-02 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-art-7918
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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec, ca. 900 to 600 BCE. In a word, wow! Finely carved and string-cut from a sage-hued greenstone with natural swirls of butterscotch and caramel, an incredibly expressive depiction of a were-jaguar transformation mask with a square jaw, ovoid eyes beneath a narrowed brow, a curved nose with broad nostrils, and a rectangular mouth with flared upper and lower lips, making for a feline mouth. The usual headband is not present, perhaps to allow room on the stone's surface for that incredibly dramatic expression. The mouth is enveloped by prominent nasolabial folds that act as a parenthesis emphasizing the upper row of teeth that protrude from the flared lips of the beast. Lengthy ear flaps flank the zoomorphic visage, each adorned with an annular drill hole, likely for suspending ornaments. Additional perforations at the peripheries were created presumably for attachment. A truly exceptional full maskette! Size: 3.7" W x 4.5" H (9.4 cm x 11.4 cm); 6" H (15.2 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  The attention to detail on this piece is quite impressive. Note the expressive lips and cleft palette of the jaguar mouth, the full nose with nostrils pierced through to the verso, and the stylized elliptical-shaped eyes. To the Olmecs, masks and maskettes like this example carried many meanings, not all of which are obvious to us today; however, scholars surmise that the color green was associated with vibrant growth, renewal, and given the cyclical conception of life and death, rejuvenation after death. Additionally, jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world; hence, warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World.
  
  Research in the late 1990s and early 2000s pinpointed the source of what is colloquially referred to as "Olmec blue" jade in the lowland Motagua River near the modern-day border of Guatemala and Honduras; greenstone from this source was carved and traded widely throughout early Mesoamerica. The value of greenstone and jade for ancient people lay in their symbolic power: perhaps green was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place greenstone and jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for greenstone and jade contributed to the rise of long-distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica. This greenstone mask would have been regarded as an exceedingly valuable and rare piece of ceremonial art.
  
  A similar Olmec greenstone mask was sold by Sotheby's New York for $65,625 on May 16th, 2014 as lot 237 in their African and Oceanic auction (sale number N09146)
  
  This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.
  
  Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico USA collection; ex-Allen A. Davis collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired August 12, 2009; ex-private New York, New York, USA collection
  
  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.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #164412

  Condition

  Some expected minor nicks to top and bottom peripheries and a few small chips to verso, commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with impressively preserved detail. Collection label on verso.
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