Pre-Columbian, Guatemala, Maya, ca. 500 to 800 CE. A hand-carved jadeite pendant in a pretty apple-green hue. This is a lovely example of jade work that is pecked and highly polished to a silky, lustrous surface. The pendant may have contained a linear motif or abstract anthropomorphic head, as evidenced by the rounded ridges across the front face. The top is laterally perforated at the for suspension or attachment. Jade was revered by the Maya not only for its beauty, but also because it had spiritual power - it was believed to be the embodiment of the wind and the "breath" that formed the Maya soul. Size: 2.25" L x 1.5" W (5.7 cm x 3.8 cm); 3.25" H (8.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private D. L. collection, Lakeway, Texas, USA, purchased from an American who worked for the United Fruit Company in Tiquisate, Guatemala in the late 1960s
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#166209
Condition
Intact and very good. Metal bar is firmly in place through the piercing hole and not removable. Polished surface and pretty coloration.