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LOT 2602
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Stone Hacha in the Form of Xipe Totec Deity
MEXICO, 5TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
9 3/4 in. (3.21 kg total, 24.7 cm high).
Carved stone hacha of a lifelike anthropomorphic head with prominent ovoid eyes slanted inward; open, fish-like mouth and broad, rounded nose beneath a backward-sweeping crest; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceArthur and Lillian Weiss collection, New England, USA, 1970s.
Saint Petersburg collection, Florida, USA.
with Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 2 May 2021.
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.
The image of Xipe Totec, deity of spring and rebirth was strongly adopted in Veracruz through the classic period. The deity is often displayed wearing the skin of a sacrificial victim with mouth open.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 2602
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Stone Hacha in the Form of Xipe Totec Deity
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Pre-Columbian Olmec Stone Mask
1st millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £1,235
Carved with voids to the open mouth and eyes, four lateral attachment points. 426 grams, 11.1 cm
Acquired on the UK art market in the early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Pre-Columbian Stone Spindle Whorl with Cross
16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Plano-convex in profile with incised segmented cross to underside. 30.2 grams, 39 mm
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. -
Aztec Stone Seated Figure
Mexico, 1400-1500 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
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. 288 grams, 97 mm (436 grams total, 13 cm including stand)
with 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.
The 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.
