Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A gorgeous assortment of 11 stone tools and 5 amulets, made from black obsidian and green stone. The amulets are each perforated through the top for suspension. The largest is an abstract and stylized anthropomorphic face; the next is a standing figure with incised eyes. The other two are flat, one is a translucent piece of smoky obsidian, and the other is a white shell with a fan shape. The larger obsidian pieces are knapped in the shapes of spearheads or projectile points with tapering tips, and some have notched necks or protruding fins. Three are nearly transparent with a green tinge to the obsidian, and the smallest tip is a gray chert. A lovely ensemble that may have been grave goods buried with an elite member of society. Size (largest): 5.625" L x 1.25" W (14.3 cm x 3.2 cm); (smallest): .81" L x .5" W (2.1 cm x 1.3 cm)
Obsidian - "iztli" to the indigenous - fascinated the ancient Mesoamericans; the Aztecs even had a god, Tezcatlipoca, who was the Lord of the Smoking Obsidian Mirror. The shockingly sharp edges and points of these pieces demonstrate its 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 in Guatemala, was traded hundreds of miles to meet the demand for sharp cutting tools and ritual objects, and then was struck using a deer antler or small hammer stone to form blades and other forms. 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.
Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s
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#161574
Condition
Nicks, chips, and losses that are not from the knapping process. Small areas of mineral deposits. Great variety of pieces!