Superb Costa Rican Jaguar Form Metate

Lot 119

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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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Northwest Coast, Tribal, & Pre-Columbian Art by Artemis Gallery

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Northwest Coast, Tribal, & Pre-Columbian Art

By Artemis Gallery

May 24, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-05-24 10:00:00 2018-05-24 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Northwest Coast, Tribal, & Pre-Columbian Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/northwest-coast-tribal-pre-columbian-art-3238 Featuring Pacific Northwest Coast Native American Art from respected collector / dealer, Joseph Alphabet. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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Lot Description

Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Pacific Slope, ca. 900 to 1530 CE. One of the finest metates we have ever had the honor of handling, depicting a fierce jaguar with a large table/seat, expertly carved from one piece of volcanic stone with refined dimensions and intricately incised as well as openwork details. The sculptor of this piece skillfully created an expressive countenance on the wild feline; just look at those wide open eyes, gnashing fangs, alert ears, and snarling snout with flaring, openwork nostrils - not to mention those curly, bristling brows and the undulating neck frill with circular negative spaces perhaps intended to represent his spotted coat which the ancients associated with the starry night sky. In addition, the jaguar's head is decorated with a bold woven pattern, and the borders of the seat are adorned by bands of stylized pseudo glyphs at the front and back as well as borders of repeated sinuous motifs on the sides. He stands proudly on three legs, the front one being openwork. Size: 25.5" L x 9.875" W x 12.5" H (64.8 cm x 25.1 cm x 31.8 cm)

This metate is also paired with its grinding tool which was apparently custom made, as one side was intentionally carved so as to fit the width of the table, leaving rounded handles at either end.

Metates were initially created to grind foods such as corn, certainly a utilitarian purpose; however, they evolved into meaningful ritual objects, replete with strong iconography and intriguing sculptural forms that have transformed these objects into much more than tools. Examples with this degree of decorative carving and iconographic symbolism were sometimes used to seat a departed lord on his journey to the afterlife. Jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world; hence, warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. An exceptional example, most likely created for ceremonial purposes and intended to seat an elite individual.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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.

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#131889

Condition

Seat repaired from two large halves. Expected surface wear with abraded areas commensurate with age. Earthen deposits in the recessed areas.
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