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THBRare Aztec Rock Crystal Mortar
Lot 91
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:
$4,000 - $6,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Sep 9, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-09-09 10:00:00
2021-09-09 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Art & Artifacts of North America
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/art-artifacts-of-north-america-7436
Join us for a special auction not to be missed! Collectible Native American art from antiquity to mid-20th century, Spanish Colonial, Latin American, fine & folk art, American frontier items, and much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Join us for a special auction not to be missed! Collectible Native American art from antiquity to mid-20th century, Spanish Colonial, Latin American, fine & folk art, American frontier items, and much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (252)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Aztec Empire, ca. 1400 to 1521 CE. Wow! An incredibly rare example of an Aztec rock crystal (quartz) mortar. The rock crystal is a smoky, translucent grey, grading from lighter at the top to darker at the bottom. The rim is slightly inset from the body, which is sectioned by narrow incised lines, giving it slightly hexagonal appearance. The mortar sits on a rounded foot. This mortar was hand-carved, and made to grind materials for the ritual ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs, an important religious activity in Mesoamerican cultures. Size: 5" W x 2" H (12.7 cm x 5.1 cm)
The Aztec seem to have had a special affinity for beautiful stones and they were particularly skilled at carving hard stones in ways that highlighted their individual colors and translucent and/or opaque qualities. Lapidary artists were highly respected members of their society and their work was called "toltecayotl", or "the Toltec thing" because, like much Aztec art, it was inspired by the Toltecs who came before them. While today we classify rocks scientifically, i.e. igneous, sedimentary, etc., the Aztecs had a very different method for classifying them. Different rocks that they used in lapidary work (and shell, which they also considered a form of rock) were classified according to properties like brightness, density, healing power, and magical ability. Therefore, only certain types of rock could be used for manufacturing receptacles for ceremonial purposes: alabaster, marble, and rock crystal like this mortar.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex- private Arundel collection, Los Angeles, California, USA, between 1950 to 1970
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.
#123836Professionally repaired from multiple pieces with visible hairline fissures as shown. Nicks and chips to peripheries. Rare form with nice mineral deposits.Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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