Pre-Columbian, North Coast Peru, Chavin, ca. 900 to 500 BCE. A striking mace head, meticulously hand-carved from a dense, charcoal gray stone. The intimidating weapon is columnar in form with a broad top that gently tapers to a lipped rim at the opposite end with a central socketing hole that runs through the body. Dozens of pointed spikes adorn the exterior, arranged into 4 horizontal rows of 8 that graduate in size as the head expands to the top. Interestingly, the Chavin culture does not seem to have been warlike, and their cultural expansion across the landscape was not violent - at least as far as archaeologists can find - until the very end of the period, when maces like this suddenly become evident. Size: 3.8" Diameter x 4.4" H (9.7 cm x 11.2 cm)
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The process by which stone objects were crafted in this period is not known, but the shape was probably accomplished by initially chipping the rock with stone tools, followed delicate refinements including polishing the mace head with fine quartz sand as an abrasive. The numerous chips on the edges may be the result of striking other stones during battle."
Provenance: private southwestern Pennsylvania, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000
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#159931
Condition
Chip to bottom rim. Losses to 2 spikes. Nicks and abrasions throughout, though especially to interior. Otherwise, excellent with lovely earthen deposits.