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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Olmec Jade : Olmec Jade Pectoral with a Human Effigy
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Olmec Jade Pectoral with a Human Effigy - PF.5588
Origin: Mexico
Circa: 900
BC
to 600
BC
Dimensions:
2" (5.1cm) high
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Olmec
Medium: Jade
$6,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
The many perforated holes along the edges
attest to the fact that this pendant was probably
worn as a pectoral for ceremonial functions. The
snarling face carved into the center of this work
is typically Olmec. Considered the mother
culture of Mesoamerica, the Olmecs are one of
the oldest and richest civilizations to inhabit the
Americas. Remembered foremost today for their
colossal heads of rulers or gods, their artistic and
religious traditions were absorbed and adapted
by the cultures that followed them. This pectoral
depicts such a colossal head type in miniature.
The undulating wings on either side might
represent part of an elaborate costume. This
figure also might be a mythological hybrid
creature: half-bird, half-man. As great
civilizations rise and fall, they leave behind traces
of their power. The most sacred ritualistic
objects continue to exert a force beyond time
and the hands that once held them sacred. A
mysterious energy still radiates from the core of
this jade carving.
- (PF.5588)
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