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Costa Rican Jade Necklace with Celt God Pendant
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Pre AD 1000 item# 701988
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$875.00
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This piece is made of 22 tubular jade beads and a complete celt god pendant. The beads strung together are approximately 22 inches long, and the celt god pendant is approximately 4 inches high by 1 inch wide near the base. This piece dates circa 200-500 A.D. and it was produced in northern Costa Rica, in an area known as the Atlantic Watershed region. The beads and the pendant were bow-drilled, with a hole created from each end. The pendant shows line cut design and is likely an anthropomorphic human image. These pendants had magical properties and were worn as personal adornments which conveyed the status and rank of the owner. The ax god jade pendant type was first developed by the Olmec circa 1200-1000 B.C., and this type of object was also votive. This type of object is also found in many Pre-Columbian cultures in Mexico and Guatemala. This type of jade object is explained in detail by Frederick Lange in "Precolumbian Jade", University of Utah Press, 1993. This piece can be worn as is, but probably needs to be restrung. Ex: F. Hirsch collection, Germany. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Powerful Mayan Green Stone Pectoral Mask, X-Rare
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Pre AD 1000 item# 812519
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
Price On Request
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This nice power type piece dates circa 200-500 A.D., is from the Peten region of Guatemala, and is a Mayan green stone mask that was a pectoral that served as the central element in a ceremonial necklace. This piece is approximately 3.5 inches wide by 4.8 inches high, is a complete example with no repair and/or breaks, and is in superb condition save for some minor roughness at the back top. This green stone mask may be fuchsite or a diopside, as there are attractive (mica?) speckled silver inclusions that are readily seen within the stone. There are also light brown mineral deposits seen on sections of the outer surface, and dark brown mineral deposits seen in most of the lower relief sections of this piece. The Maya highly valued this type of green stone, and there are few authentic ancient Mayan green stone objects carved made from this material, and as such, this piece is extremely rare. This piece was valued highly enough in that it was placed as the central component in a ceremonial necklace, and there is a bow drilled hole on each side of this mask that held it in place within the necklace. In addition, the eyes and mouth were formed into the stone by a "pecking" technique, and the back side of this piece has a concave surface. (For an anlogous designed necklace made from a similiar type green stone see "Maya" by Peter Schmidt, Ed., Rizzoli Pub., Venice, Italy, 1998, no. 140. This piece is also seen in the Museo National de Antropologia in Mexico City, Inv. no. 10-000220.) Carved green stone objects, such as the extremely rare piece offered here, were highly valued by the Maya and reinforced the high rank of individuals wearing them. In the Classic period, green stone objects and beads made for the Mayan elite actually achieved the status of "money", such was the importance and acceptance of these objects. One principle reason for this was that these green stones are the same color as sprouting maize, which represented life on earth and in the spirit world. Sacred Mayan green stone objects were passed down from generation to generation, placed in sacrificial caches, and used as grave offerings. The pectoral mask offered here is also interesting in that the design of the face resembles the Mayan hieroglyph "ahau", meaning "lord", as it is written in its simplest form. There are also many forms of this common Mayan "lord" glyph, and this "lord" glyph evolved over time, but the form of the piece offered here is closest to the simple "lord" glyph seen during the Classical period, which is also the period that this piece was produced. Both the simple "lord" glyph and the piece offered here have rounded eyes and mouth, thick lips that run around the mouth opening, and two vertical lines that run from the upper lip to the forehead that form the design of the nose and the face of the glyph. (For this theory and a chart of line drawings relative to the evolution of the "Ahau" glyph see "The Stylistic History of the Mayan Hieroglyphs", by Dr. Hermann Beyer, Tulane University Pub., New Orleans, 1932.) The fact that this mask resembles the Mayan simple "lord" glyph is not surprising, as it was probably an important Mayan lord that wore this piece in ceremony and perhaps even in death, and as such, this piece can be considered a "power" type object. This piece is mounted on a custom metal base and can easily be removed. This piece has also been authenticated by Mr. Robert Sonin and Mr. David Joralemon in New York, and was examined in great detail by both parties. Ex: Martin Falk collection, Long Island, New York (acquired circa 1960's.). Ex: Arte Primitivo, Fine Pre-Columbian Auction, New York, Auction 46, no.125. Ex: Private French collection. (Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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X-Rare Mayan Ballgame Sacred Manopla Stone
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Pre AD 1000 item# 1113098
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$3,765.00
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This extremely rare piece is a Mayan handstone known as a "Manopla", which was used by the ancient Maya when playing the Mayan ballgame. This piece dates circa 550-950 A.D., and is approximately 4.25 inches in diameter. This solid piece is intact, has no breaks and/or repair, and is an extremely rare complete example. This piece is in the form of a round ball, and has an opening on one side which formed the handle for this piece. There are also three round evenly spaced circles that are carved into the outer surface, and these represent the large rubber ball that was used in the Mayan ballgame. There is some slight wear on the outer surface, and some inner wear on the edges of the handle, and this inner wear is probably due to the fact that this piece was used a great deal as a hand held stone in the Mayan ballgame. The outer wear, was also probably caused with contact with the hard rubber ball. According to Linda Schele in "The Maya Cosmos, Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path", William Morrow and Co., Inc., New York, 1993, p. 343: "The hardness of the Maya ball and the danger of receiving it against unprotected flesh was apparently the same as in the Aztec game. A Maya ballplayer wore cotton padding around his pelvis, cotton padding and a heavy U-shaped protector called a yoke around the waist, thick cloth padding wrapped around his forearm, a single knee pad on one leg, and a calf-length leather skirt over his lioncloth. Sometimes they held a small handstone, used perhaps to put the ball into play. A stone object called a palma projected from the yoke in the center of their bodies. Most known yokes are made from stone, but one recovered from Burial 195 at Tikal was made of wood and cut in the typical grooved form shown in Maya imagery. Ballplaying gear also included the headdresses and other symbols of important gods, indicating that players probably assumed the roles of cosmic beings, elevating their play to the level of a great cosmic drama." Schele also descibes this Mayan handstone in "The Blood of Kings, Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art", Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, 1986, p. 248: "Handstones may have been used to protect the hand in play, or perhaps when setting the heavy ball in motion, as appears to be the case on the Center Marker from the ballcourt at Copan. A figurine in the Munson-Williams-Proctor collection (Pl. 99) shows a ballplayer seated in a stately posture as if posed for a formal portrait, who holds a handstone at his side." (See attached photo.) The Maya played the ballgame as a sacred event which was tied to their gods, as noted by Schele, and the role of the Mayan handstone offered here had a sacred use in the game that is not totally understood by modern scholars. What is known, is that this type of stone piece is extremely rare in the market, and is not seen as much as the other Mayan stone implements that were used in the Mayan ballgame such as palmas, hachas, and yokes. This piece has some spotty white calcite and minute black mineral deposits. This piece also sits on a custom black plexiglas stand. Ex: Anthony Slaytor-Ralph collection, Montecito, CA. circa 1980's. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Mixtec Greenstone Penate Figurine
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Pre 1492 item# 924059
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$675.00
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This nice piece is a carved greenstone "penate", i.e. "pendant", figurine that is approximately 3.25 inches high. This piece is a larger example, with a higher quality green colored stone, than what is usually seen. This attractive piece is Mixtec, dates circa 1100-1500 A.D., and was worn as a protective amulet. This piece has a bow-drilled hole at the top back side, which allowed this piece to be worn and suspended in an upward position. The body of this piece has a flat backside and is carved with a bi-facial front side. The eyes are bow-drilled and there are string cuts that define the head, torso, and legs. This greenstone piece has a nice patina that has dark black spots and light brown deposits. This piece has also been authenticated by Mr. Robert Sonin in New York. This piece hangs on a custom stand, can quickly be removed, and can easily be worn today on a leather cord. Ex: Arte Primitivo, New York. Ex: Renee Neu collection, New York. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Costa Rican Jade Avian Votive Pendant
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Pre AD 1000 item# 1027901
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$1,265.00
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This interesting piece is a carved jade pendant that is from the Costa Rican region, and dates circa 300 B.C.-500 A.D. This piece is approximately 1.5 inches high, and is part of a complete "axe-god" pendant. This piece likely formed a complete piece that was approximately 4.25 to 4.5 inches high, and may have been string cut into three near equal sections. This beautiful dark green jade piece is the upper section of a complete pendant, and is in the form of an avian head. The dark green color is even throughout the entire piece, and is from a high quality section of the stone from which it was cut. This detailed jade head has superb workmanship, and has bow drilled eyes, wing design cuts seen on each side, and a bow drilled hole through the side which the wearer was able to use in order to suspend this piece as a pendant. This piece was worn by the elite as a "power" type piece, and appears to represent either parrots or owls as emphasized by the tufts as seen at the top of the head. This piece is analogous to two examples that are seen in "Precolumbian Art of Costa Rica", Detroit Institute of Art, Abrams Pub., 1981, no.24 and 26. (See attached photos.) This piece also has an unpolished "septum" that is seen at the back of this piece, and was a result of string cutting a stone into three seperate pieces in order to produce three pendants. (For this manufacturing process see, "Precolumbian Jade" by Frederick W. Lange, University of Utah Press, 1993, pp.270-274.) This piece also has some spotty light brown surface deposits that are seen in several low relief points of the piece. This piece is rare, as it was a segment from a complete "ax-god", and this complete and sacred "ax-god" was likely cut into three segments so that each piece could have been given to family members of the prior owner. The piece offered here, subsequently became a votive grave offering, and the "power" of this piece passed from one generation to another. This type of segmented votive piece was also known to have occurred with the Olmec, as evidenced by Olmec hard stone pieces that are published in "The Olmec World, Ritual and Rulership", Princeton University, Abrams Inc. Pub., 1995, nos. 158 and 159. (The pieces illustrated are both jade masks that were string cut and/or broken into a section, and was then reworked and repolished. It is unknown whether these masks were broken accidentally or for a ritual purpose, but what is known, these pieces were valued as they were reworked and repolished. See attached photos.) The rare votive piece offered here was also reworked and repolished afer it was cut at the bottom, and this type of votive piece is seldom seen in the market, or in private/public collections. This piece is a superb example of Costa Rican jade. This piece is mounted on a custom stand and can easily be removed. This piece can also be easily worn on a cord as well. Ex: Private Mass. collection. Ex: Arte Xibalba, Osprey, Fl. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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