The exquisite beauty and incredible strength if
jade resulted in the belief by the Ancient Costa
Ricans that this remarkable stone had qualities
of both power and magic. Crafted by expert
artists, this extraordinary medium was used for
the creation of spirited works of art--objects
that gave substance to Costa Rican myth and its
symbolic language. This dramatic mace head,
carved in the stylized image of a monkey, is an
outstanding example of that ancient artistry.
Functioning as a ceremonial badge of office or of
a clan affiliation, this powerful mace head would
have been mounted in a wooden staff and carried
by its owner. The dramatic image of the monkey
symbolizes the owner’s comparable qualities:
courage and tenacity. To the Ancient Costa
Ricans, the spider monkey was a revered animal,
for it was believed that the monkey was actually
a former warrior. This compelling mace head,
with its imagery that is at once powerfully
primitive and strikingly modern, continues to
radiate its extraordinary energy – from past to
present, it affects us in a most compelling
manner.
- (PF.2459)
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