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Pre-Columbian Art :
Art of the United States : Hopewell Green Slate Ceremonial Sickle
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Hopewell Green Slate Ceremonial Sickle - PF.0330
Origin: The Mississipi Valley, USA
Circa: 200
BC
to 200
AD
Dimensions:
14.625" (37.1cm) high
x 7.5" (19.1cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Hopewell
Medium: Slate
Location: United States
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| Description |
Around 100 B.C. the Hopewell people settled in
the northern woodlands. By the first century A.D.
their culture had flourished, influencing a wide
area as far as the lower Mississippi. The society
of the Hopewell, as well as other tribes, were
essentially hierarchical--comprising a chief,
ruling elite and high ranking shamans; all of
whom required specialized objects for domestic
and ritual use. This beautiful sickle was intended
as a ceremonial tool, perhaps used to "duplicate"
in ceremony the larger axes used in battle or
agriculture. This impliment takes the form of a
gentle arch with three protruding "blades." Its
form and perfect balance attests to the carver's
expertise in working with stone instruments.
There is such elegance in this sickle it almost
seems to be a result of an act of nature; though
we can readily see the experienced hand of an
artist who created something of power for the
sake of his gods
- (PF.0330)
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