Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Guanacaste / Nicoya region, ca. 200 to 600 CE. Wow! A remarkable jadeite axe god pendant, finely carved using drilling and string cutting techniques to form a front-facing, monkey or anthropomorphic figure with a wide belly, crouched legs, and belt elbows. The figure stands atop a small quadruped - possibly a canine or jaguar - and grasps two serpents whose bodies join together atop its dramatic headdress, which consists of two caiman heads. Aside from the headdress, the figure is nude, with nicely incised hands and feet, a leering grin, shallowly drilled eyes, and remarkable openwork when you consider how difficult it is to carve jade! The figure's association with animals probably indicates that he or she is a powerful shaman. Size: 2.9" W x 5.3" H (7.4 cm x 13.5 cm)
The value of jade for people in ancient Central America lay in its symbolic power: perhaps its color was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the rise of long distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica.
Provenance: ex-Craig Hendrix collection, South Carolina, USA; ex-Charles Craig Jr. collection, Costa Rica, acquired in the 1960s and 1970s
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#154101
Condition
Light wear on surface commensurate with age, including a few tiny scratches, but overall in excellent condition.