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Details

LOT 2412

Mesoamerican Costa Rican Jadeite Ceremonial Jaguar Mace Head

100-500 A.D.

4 3/8 in. (209 grams total, 11 cm including stand).

Dual profile animal-head mace head with drilled eye and teeth exposed; hole close the edge for suspension; mounted on a custom-made stand.

Provenance

Acquired in the 1990s.
Private collection, England.

Literature

See Deletaille, E., Tresros Du Nouveau Monde, Musees Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, 1992, p.258, for a variety of ceremonial mace heads from Guanacaste – Nicoya region.

Footnotes

These mace heads were sculpted with great care and likely produced for high ranking members of society. Often zoomorphic in form, this example is particularly notable for its dual aspect with a monkey face on one side contrasted with a more human skull appearance on the other. A fine and interesting example with great expression and design.

CONDITION

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AUCTIONS:

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LOT 2412

Mesoamerican Costa Rican Jadeite Ceremonial Jaguar Mace Head

Sold for (Inc. bp): £572

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