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THBFine Colima Obsidian Spear Blades - Black, Mahogany
Lot 56
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,500 - $3,000
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| $300 | $50 |
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| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jan 14, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-01-14 12:00:00
2021-01-14 12:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Arms & Armor | Antiquity to Present Day
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/arms-armor-antiquity-to-present-day-6288
Specialty auction featuring axes, mace heads, swords, spears, various types of armor, and more! Many different cultures and price ranges. Great for first-time buyers, seasoned collectors, dealers. All legally acquired, and legal to buy/sell. Professional and convenient in-house shipping! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Specialty auction featuring axes, mace heads, swords, spears, various types of armor, and more! Many different cultures and price ranges. Great for first-time buyers, seasoned collectors, dealers. All legally acquired, and legal to buy/sell. Professional and convenient in-house shipping! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (127)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A fine pair of hand-knapped obsidian stone spear heads. The smaller is a pretty mahogany obsidian with deep umber hues. This head has a short triangular blade with pointed fins and a long neck. The other spear head is made from a massive and lustrous black obsidian, shaped with a long, thick blade with a notch above a short neck. Both spear tips were created by knapping, a process that involves hitting the obsidian with a harder stone to flake the surface into the desired form. Obsidian was revered for its naturally glassy surface that fractured into razor sharp edges. These spearheads may have been votive pieces for burial, rather than warfare. Size (mahogany): 8.5" L x 1.125" W (21.6 cm x 2.9 cm); (black): 12" L x 1.5" W (30.5 cm x 3.8 cm); (case): 18" L x 12" W (45.7 cm x 30.5 cm)
Obsidian - also known as "iztli" - fascinated the ancient Mesoamericans; the Aztecs even had a god, Tezcatlipoca, who was the Lord of the Smoking Obsidian Mirror. The sharp edges and glassy surfaces of these pieces demonstrate obsidian's 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 Guatemala, traded hundreds of miles to meet the demand for sharp cutting tools and ritual objects, and then was struck using deer antler or small hammer stones 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 like these examples.
Provenance: ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA, 1950s-1960s
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.
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#161381Minor nicks to peripheries that are not from the knapping process. Areas of light mineral deposits. Overall excellent and both are very large!Condition
- Shipping Info
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