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LOT 2594
Aztec Stone Seated Figure
MEXICO, 1400-1500 A.D.
3 3/4 in. (5 1/8 in.) (288 grams, 97 mm (436 grams total, 13 cm including stand)).
Carved seated figure wearing jaguar-skin cowl shown with hands resting above the abdomen with recess to accept a sacred object; mounted on a custom-made stand.
Provenancewith Sotheby's, Parke Bernet, 31 May 1975, no.292.
Private collection, London, UK.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Exhibited Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA, accession no.4462.
LiteratureSee Olguin, F., Aztecs, Royal Academy of Arts, Spain, 2003, p.73, for a similar seated figure.
FootnotesThe jaguar-skin cowl is an emblem of power and shamanic transformation in Mesoamerican cultures and was particularly adopted by the Aztec civilization to harness the power of the predator. This piece shows an interesting patina of lines and wear, possibly from exposure to water from ancient times.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
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Pre-Columbian Stone Spindle Whorl with Cross
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Acquired from Coincraft, London, UK. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. Accompanied by a Coincraft certificate of authenticity. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
