Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, ca. 600 to 900 CE. A round, caramel-yellow stone ring with sharp, widely-spaced serrated edges. This stone is an unusual material for a knapped item (it feels harder than chert), and must have been very difficult to make as the stone does not feel favorable to knapping and likely would have wanted to fracture in unpredictable ways. Size: 4.3" W (10.9 cm)Knapped stones are made using percussion techniques (striking them with other stones), and the process required to get them the correct shape requires training and skill. Stones carved not as weapons, but into interesting shapes, had sacrificial and ceremonial use for the Maya, and are often found as offerings in caches inside of stone monuments and other architectural features. Provenance: Ex-Harvey Collection, acquired prior to 1972 Condition: Nice smooth age patina; one small chip to one side. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #120170
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Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, Postclassic, ca. 900 to 1519 CE. A human effigy vessel with a pronounced spout emerging from its head; the body depicting the head of an old god, possibly K'inich Ahaw, the sun god, known for his hooked nose. Atop the head is a wide-mouthed spout that furls out to a broad sloping rim. The god's face has few teeth and extensive lines, with prominent pierced ears that may once have had gold rings, feathers, cloth, spool earrings, or some other kind of decoration through them. Size: 5.4" W x 8" H (13.7 cm x 20.3 cm)In a hot climate prone to drought, the sun god could be a figure of fear; K'inich Ahaw was also the dangerous nighttime Jaguar God of the Underworld. Provenance: Ex-Harvey Collection, acquired prior to 1972 Condition: Small probe hole in back side that does not affect any of the decorative artwork; losses to the rim. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119759
Miscellaneous Lot comprising: a uniface commemorative medal 'Help for Heroes' depicting stretcher bearers carrying wounded soldier, 38.6mm, layered in 24ct gold, with cert, in London Mint Office case BU; an Edward VIII fantasy proof set 1936, 6 coins crown to silver threepence, all chrome-plated brass, no cert, in fitted case; Tristan da Cunha gold quarter guinea 2013 13.92mm, 2g, 24ct gold proof, with cert, in London Mint Office CofI; Isle of Man '170th Anniversary of the Penny Black' gold coin & stamp set 2010 comprising a 24ct gold proof 1/25 crown 1990 (not released until 2010) with pearl black finish, 13.92mm, 1.24g, together with a 1d black stamp (1840) with red cancellation mark, with cert, in a London Mint Office case; a 'Last Guinea Commemorative Set' comprising Jersey .925 silver proof £5 2013 with rev of 1663 guinea & Guernsey .925 silver proof £5 2013 with rev of 1813 guinea, together with replicas of the 1663 & 1813 guineas, with cert, in Westminster CofI; Royal Canadian Mint silver proof commemorative 1 cent, 32mm, maple leaves highlighted in gilt (1 cent coin last struck May 4th 2012), with cert, in CofI; Mayan Calendar Commemorative Medal, 70mm, gold-plated copper proof with colourised Mayan calendar; a half farthing 1844 Fine & twopence 1797 surface marks & edge knocks, both with certs, in London Mint Office cases
Pre-Columbian, Honduras/El Salvador, Mayan Copador, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A trio of seated scribes or lords, sitting against backrests with outstretched arms as if presenting offerings such as treasured books or implements to use in ballcourts of the Copan, adorn the exterior walls of this polychrome bowl. Elaborate headdresses and ear spools underscore their elite standing. The interior is decorated with two bands of animorphic and abstract geometric forms in red, black, and cream hues. Size: 6.375" W x 2.375" H (16.2 cm x 6 cm)Note: The sitting scribes are reaching out toward a traditional symbol that some scholars have interpreted as their ideas or thoughts. Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection acquired in the 1980's Condition: Surface wear with pigment loss commensurate with age. Areas of manganese deposits as shown. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119017
Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, Late Classic Period, ca. 600 to 900 CE. This is a lovely ceremonial vessel decorated with registers and panels all around, consisting of chief or casique figures alternating with panels of painted designs. The cylinder stands raised on three tripod rattle feet. It has a strong painted surface with bright orange, dark red, and black details. Size: 5.5" W x 7.45" H (14 cm x 18.9 cm)Cylinder vessels like these seem, from residue analysis, to have been used for drinking chocolate, a hugely popular and ritual practice amongst the Maya, especially Mayan elite. Provenance: Ex Poway California Collection Jack Hart Condition: Twin cracks down the side from the rim; these do not appear to have been repaired and feel stable. Normal surface age signs and deposits. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119376
Pre-Columbian, El Salvador/Guatemala/Honduras, Mayan Copador, ca 550 to 950 CE. A polychrome ceremonial cylinder with overall slip in orange, red, black, and cream hues, the exterior decorated with two panels depicting seated casiques or shaman elaborately adorned with magnificent headdresses, face paint or tattoos, necklaces, and bracelets, with hunchbacks signifying their sacred status. Between these panels are vertical bands of hieroglyphic text, above and below are registers of stylized glyphs. Size: 5" W x 7.5" H (12.7 cm x 19 cm)This large cylinder was most likely a cocoa cup. Did you know that chocolate was first cultivated by the Ancient Mayans? Perhaps odd to us, the way they consumed it was not like the sweet treats we know today. They preferred to imbibe thick, bitter, frothy chocolate drinks served cold. Imagine this vessel filled with such a beverage! Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection acquired in the 1980's Condition: Repaired from about five pieces with some visible breaklines and losses as shown. Surface wear with abrasions and pigment loss. Nice areas of manganese deposits. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119015
Pre-Columbian, Guatemala, Peten Region, Late Classic Maya, ca. 700 to 800 CE. A beautiful cylinder jar with a simple, elegant design. The interior is an earthy red - it flows upward and spills over the rim, terminating in a neat band above a register of step glyphs painted by hand in black on cream. Underneath that, free-floating on on the body of the vessel, are a series of spaced-out black dragonfly motifs on a cream background. Size: 3.75" W x 6.95" H (9.5 cm x 17.7 cm)The step register is an omnipresent motif in Mayan art, which often depicts architectural elements. The dragonflies - shown here as simple round bodies with wings extended, as if viewed face on - and reflect the importance of zoomorphic designs in Mayan art. Residue analysis on similar vessels suggests that this cylinder jar was almost certainly used for the ritual ingestion of a drink made from cacao (chocolate). This was hugely popular amongst Mayan elites. Provenance: Ex-Dr. G. Hermann collection, Denver, CO acquired before 1980 Condition: Repairs on base and around lower body; pigment has slight wear but is in nice condition. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #118957
Pre-Columbian, Maya region, Late Classic Period, ca. 650 to 750 CE. An incredible piece of ancient craftsmanship, a black and red on cream-orange slip paint cylinder with a codex register of nine glyphs in the Primary Standard Sequence under the red-painted rim and below that two fish with wonderful detail separated by diagonal bars. Cylinder vessels like these seem, from residue analysis, to have been used for drinking chocolate, a hugely popular and ritual practice amongst the Maya, especially Mayan elite. Size: 4.9" W x 3.8" H (12.4 cm x 9.7 cm)This beautiful cylinder has all the hallmarks of a "codex style" vessel. The glyphs and iconography were hand drawn by a skilled artisan in a fine-line painting technique using a monochrome black-brown slip that would have been made from clay mixed with black iron oxide, manganese, and some plant-based compounds. Mayan scribes seem to have wanted to mark the ownership of valued things, and that is what registers of glyphs like the one found here were made to do - mark the owner's name and describe the item. Below that register, the two depictions of the fish are wonderful examples of elaborately drawn "kay" glyphs. Based on their indented fins, they seem to be based on the Cichlids, who are a large family of freshwater fish that live in the lakes and river valleys of Central America and would have been a source of food and also religious practice for the Maya. On these examples, the round body decorations you can see are characteristic of the redhead cichlid (Vieja synspila). Fish are a recurring theme in Mayan art, and seem to indicate that the setting of the artwork is an aquatic environment. Interestingly, because of its sound ("ka"), the fish head glyph can sometimes be used as a doubled or grouped sign to spell "kakaw", the glyph for cocoa - so the decoration on this vessel may relate to its use as a cup for the chocolate drink. Provenance: ex-private North Carolina Collection Condition: Repaired from approximately four large pieces, but repairs are well done and very difficult to see. Paint is clearly visible with minor wear; excellent root marks overall. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119401
Pre-Columbian, Maya, Classic Period, ca. 700 to 900 CE. A iconographically fascinating small cylinder vessel, perhaps made to be used for drinking cocoa, a ritual and popular drink in the Maya world. This example has a rich, cocoa-bean brown strip around the rim and base, forming a frame for a panel that spans most of the body and shows two figures swimming, one with a canine face and a human body - perhaps a reference to the trickster figure of the coyote. Size: 3.75" W x 3.45" H (9.5 cm x 8.8 cm)Copador pottery was manufactured at Copan and traded widely throughout the southern Maya region. This particular style was created by artisans in the Copan area specifically for export, and was probably made to combine popular elements in Maya decoration to increase their value. By repeating certain styles, the artisans creating bowls like this reinforced ceremonial ideas. This is a fascinating piece of history that tells us a great deal about the Mayan economy and society! Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection acquired in the 1980's Condition: Loss to base and wear to paint. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119016
Pre-Columbian, Mexico or Guatemala, Mayan, ca. 6th to 9th century CE. This jade pendant features a carved view of a Mayan lord kneeling down in supplication. The low-relief figure is created from a series of shallow lines, giving it a more abstract appearance than much similar Maya art. The Maya had a preference for brilliant translucent jade. This one has a drilled hole for suspension behind the head. Size: 2.1" W x 1.6" H (5.3 cm x 4.1 cm) Provenance: Ex-Private Kentucky Collection Condition: Very slight surface wear/dirt encrustation in the hole. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119383
Pre-Columbian, Guatemala, Mayan, ca. 250 to 900 CE. A remarkable human effigy figure, hand-carved from a beautiful green stone of seafoam green hues, with a tranquil visage comprised of coffee bean shaped closed eyes, full lips, a naturalistically delineated nose, and elegant facial contours, with straight locks trailing to the neckline. The figure kneels in contemplation, donning a ballgame yoke around the waist, holding a child (perhaps a sacrificial victim) before his chest. Custom stand. Size: figure itself measures 3.5" H (8.9 cm); 4" H (10.2 cm) on stand Provenance: Ex-Private Arizona collection Condition: Losses to lower end, minor surface wear and encrustations as shown. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #118988
Pre-Columbian, Maya Territories, ca. 200 to 900 CE. An amazing pectoral, made of a slab of brownware with applied brownware details. At its center is a skeletal face - suggested just by its empty eyes - wearing an enormous headdress. Applied pierced circles stud its surface, surrounding the skull; an incised cylinder marks out the top of the piece. There are the remains of red pigment on the background slab. The back has projections of pottery designed to make it stand up rather than lie flat. Size: 6.75" W x 4" H (17.1 cm x 10.2 cm)This pectoral was made not to be worn, but to be placed on a statue or to be placed in a tomb. The skull on the pectoral is a use of a common Mayan iconographic theme: death personified, put into god form. Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection acquired in the 1980's Condition: Intact on its front with old losses to the edges of the undecorated back; little signs of wear. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119029
Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, Peten region of Guatemala, ca. 550 to 800 CE. A whimsical polychrome pottery vessel featuring a register occupied by a pair of hummingbirds and a pair of crustaceans delineated in an abstract manner. Size: 6.75" in diameter x 4.375" H (17.1 cm x 11.1 cm)These animals are underscored by a red and a black band below, and another black band above. To the ancients of the Pre-Columbian world, hummingbirds were associated with the sun. Appreciated for its shiny, iridescent feathering and aerial acrobatics, the hummingbird made for the ideal solar metaphor. Since these birds are known to hover, seemingly motionless, and fly up, down and even backwards, the ancients likened its motions to that of the sun's hovering in the sky at the solstices when it is also known to reverse its celestial direction. In addition, hummingbirds can assume a torpid state when it is cold at night or during brief periods in the winter. However, they come back to life in the spring warmth. This unique ability to "die" and "resurrect" signified rebirth to the ancients of the Americas, precisely at a time when planting and, in this sense, "renewed life" occurred. How magical! Crustaceans appear less frequently on Mayan art; however, a segment of their society may have journeyed to the coast or been influenced by coastal peoples, so it is not surprising to see them depicted occasionally. A lovely vessel that unites creatures of the sea and sky, two realms revered by the ancients of the Americas. Provenance: Ex-Bloor collection Condition: A stable crack from rim to lower black band. Abraded rim, surface wear, and paint losses as shown. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #117796
Pre-Columbian, Honduras/El Salvador, Mayan Copador, ca. 550 to 900 CE. The exterior walls of this polychrome bowl feature a register of nine sitting scribes or lords, sitting against backrests with outstretched arms as if presenting offerings such as treasured books or implements to use in ballcourts of the Copan. Elaborate headdresses, beaded necklaces, and ear spools underscore their elite standing. Nine stylized turkeys with red tail feathers and necks strut around the interior, dangling worms from their beaks. Size: 9.375" in diameter x 3.75" H (23.8 cm x 9.5 cm)Note: The sitting scribes are reaching out toward a traditional symbol that some scholars have interpreted as the scribes' ideas or thoughts. Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection acquired in the 1980's Condition: Relatively stable 4.5" fissure from rim to tondo. Expected surface wear with abrasions/nicks and pigment loss commensurate with age. Areas of manganese deposits. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119018
Pre-Columbian, Maya, probably Guatemala, Late Classic Period, 500 to 800 CE. Instantly recognizable as Mayan, this is a round-bodied bowl on stubby tripod legs. It is decorated in vibrant red and cream with black-outlined designs. The interior is solid, orange-red while a design showing a repeated human face rings the exterior. The base and legs are cream. Vessels like these were used by Maya nobles during feasts, as gifts, and as funerary offerings. The face depicted is that of a local leader. Size: 6.75" W x 4.6" H (17.1 cm x 11.7 cm) Provenance: Ex - Private W. S. collection, Los Angeles, CA Condition: Intact, with some wear to paint. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #114392
Pre-Columbian, Guatemala, ca. 550 to 800 CE. An absolutely superb Mayan jade carving using some of the most desirable jade in the world. Light apple green jade with one corner showing more of a whitish appearance. Carved in the form of the face of a lord or god, with large drilled earspools, headdress with animal heads facing opposite directions. A marvelous example! Custom stand. Size: 1.55" W x 1.75" H (3.9 cm x 4.4 cm) Provenance: Ex-private Scollard collection, acquired before 1990 Condition: 2 old stable cracks, but no repairs. Superb art! All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #114539
Pre-Columbian, Maya, Classic Period, ca. 700 to 900 CE. A bowl in the classic Copador style, with black and red slip forming intricate designs on the exterior and interior. The exterior has a register of repeated glyph-like symbols around the rim, below which is a design that looks like the surface of a squash! On the interior, a red ring around the rim is followed by twin black rings and then two bird designs circling a central round pattern. The birds may be a reference to Huitzilopochtli, the hummingbird god of war, sun, and human sacrifice. Size: 7.3" W x 3" H (18.5 cm x 7.6 cm)Copador pottery was manufactured at Copan and traded widely throughout the southern Maya region. This particular style was created by artisans in the Copan area specifically for export, and was probably made to combine popular elements in Maya decoration to increase their value. By repeating certain styles, the artisans creating bowls like this reinforced ceremonial ideas. This is a fascinating piece of history that tells us a great deal about the Mayan economy and society! Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection acquired in the 1980's Condition: Repaired from several large pieces. Nice preservation of paint. Wear to the interior has revealed a slight mineral sparkle in the red pigment. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #119019
A Pre-Columbian/Mayan carved volcanic rock figure of a ball game player: seated and holding a ball between both hands, 45 cm high; on square black marble plinth. * Provenance to include a letter and receipt dated 1936 from two previous owners- Major G.Simpson and G.B.Powell. Believed to have been discovered by Mr Powell's late father in San Jose, British Honduras in 1906. Sold at Brackets Auctioneers [Fine Art Auction Group] Lot 810, 23rd May 2003.
Toltec-Maya, Post Classic Period, 900-1200 AD. A circular limestone relief marker from the human sacrificial ball game, carved with the skull of a defeated ballplayer with open mouth and scrolls of plants emerging; glyphs around the eye, top of the skull decorated with a plumed headdress curving to form further glyphs; old accession number '8697' to the underside. Property of an American collector; acquired 2014 at auction; previously with Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA, with museum accession number 8697 to the reverse. C.f. Schele, L. and Miller, M. The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art, London, 1992, pp. 241-265, for a discussion on the ballgame in Mayan society and religion. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. There has been a long history of ball games in Mesoamerica, for both recreational, and religious purposes. The ritual aspect of the games took precedence with special structures for the games being built in the centre of Mayan cities, next to the principle temples and palace complex. The ballcourts were usually an alley framed by two parallel structures, sometimes with clearly defined end zones that gave the entire structure the shape of a capital letter ?. The games were composed of two teams with two or three team members each who controlled the ball by hitting it with their upper arm or thigh - touching it with the hands was forbidden, as was allowing the ball to touch the ground. From relief images at the courts, and ceramic figurines found at Mayan sites, we know that the players wore a loin cloth with a leather hip guard, which protected the hip and projected the ball when hitting it. The players also wore elaborate headdresses which marked them out as being involved in a ritual act. Points were scored by striking the solid rubber ball, which was thirty centimeters in diameter and weighed four kilograms, towards a ring high up on the walls of the court, or at markers, such as this one, set along the alley or in end zones. Although the games had an entertainment factor, with professional players and gambling, the primary role of the games was religious. In the ritual games war captives were used who were weakened by deprivation and made to enter the ballcourt at a disadvantage and pitted one against another until only one champion remained. The losers were sacrificed by having their hearts ripped out and being decapitated; the hearts were offered to the gods and the heads were displayed on skull racks, called Tzompantli, close to the courts, or were encased in rubber and used as balls in the games. This ballcourt marker possibly depicts the skull of a defeated player encased in a rubber ball. At Chichen Itza on the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, is a relief from the great ballcourt which depicts a skull exactly the same as this one. Here, the skull-ball is in the centre of a scene which shows a victorious ballplayer on the left holding the head of the figure opposite him, whom he has decapitated. Six snakes and an elaborate tree sprout from the severed neck of the victim, showing the fertility that such sacrifice will bring. The skull-ball on the scene, as well as on this example, have scrolls of vegetation coming out of the mouth, and this has been interpreted as the fronds and seed pods of the cacao plant - a source of wealth for the Maya. The religious aspect of the games derives from the Popol Vuh, a series of myths relating to creation and the exploits of the Hero Twins. The story begins with the Hero Twins' father, Hun Hunahpu, and uncle, Vucub Hunahpu, playing ball near the underworld, Xibalba. The lords of the underworld became annoyed with the noise from the ball playing and so the gods send owls to lure the brothers to the ballcourt situated on the western edge of the underworld. Despite the danger, the brothers fall asleep and are captured and sacrificed by the gods and then buried in the ballcourt. Hun Hunahpu was decapitated and his head hung in a fruit tree. Hun Hunahpu's head spits into the hands of a passing goddess who then conceives and gives birth to the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. The Hero Twins eventually find the ballgame equipment in their father’s house and start playing, again to the annoyance of the gods, who summon the twins to play the ballgame amidst trials and dangers. In one notable episode, Hunahpu is decapitated by bats. His brother uses a squash as Hunahpu's substitute head until his real one, now used as a ball by the gods, can be retrieved and placed back on Hunahpu's shoulders. The twins eventually go on to play the ballgame with the gods, defeating them. However, they were still destined to die so they could be reborn and defeat lords of Xibalba for good. After killing them by a trickery, they returned to the underworld to resurrect their father and in the end, they became the Sun and the Moon. 10 kg, 30cm (12"). Fine condition. Extremely rare.
Toltec-Maya, Post Classic Period, 900-1200 AD. A sandstone frieze panel with head of a parrot or macaw, with large eye and curving beak, behind a jaguar leg with claws extended and above a scroll motif; to the front of the macaw head is the foot of a kneeling sacrificial ballplayer; below a row of circles with central dot. Property of an American collector; acquired 2014 at auction; previously with Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA. Miller, M. and Taube, K. Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion, London, 1993 Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. Both parrots and the related larger macaws were highly prized in Mayan society for their brilliant plumage. In ancient Mesoamerica, macaws were often identified with fire. In various Mayan books, or codices, macaws are shown holding flaming torches and the bird was sacred to Kinich Kakmo, or Sun-Faded Fire Macaw, a sun god that descended to Earth at noon to consume sacrificial offerings. Depictions of macaws are found at the ballcourts of Mayan cities, with monumental heads being placed at the top of the courts and acting as ball markers, such as at the ballcourt at Copan in Honduras. They are also seen in the decorative reliefs that cover the lower walls of the courts which depict the sacrifice of the defeated players and the fertility that their deaths will bring; this relates to the role of the solar symbolism of the ballcourts and Kinich Kakmo as the sun god who consumes the human sacrifices. The foot to the front of the macaw head in this panel could be that of a defeated ballplayer who has been sacrificed, and a similar scene is shown at the Great Ballcourt at Chichen Itza, which depicts the decapitation of players by the winners of the game. The jaguar leg on this panel relates to the jaguar form that the sun god takes when he descends to the underworld - a perilous time for the god that he could only survive by the sacrifices that took place at the ballcourts. 32 kg, 59cm (23 1/4"). Fine condition, break to left, from a larger block.
Pre-Columbian, Maya, probably Classic Period, ca. 250 to 900 CE. This is a pair of Mayan pottery objects. One, an impressed bowl, has abstract designs around its exterior. The other is a quite unique object, a large rattle in the shape of a tufted owl. The Maya, Aztec, and Southwestern US tribes like the Hopi regarded the owl as a symbol of death and destruction. For the Maya, specifically, the god Yum Cimil is made of bones and depicted as half man, half owl; he resides in the lowest of the nine underworlds of Xibalba and is made of bones. This owl has delightful details including wide eyes and extended wings. Sadly, the piece came to us broken in shipment; it has obsidian fragments inside to make the rattling noise, which have been restored. I personally really love this owl even with the repairs and think whomever buys it will have a delightful piece in their home or office! Size of largest: 3.25" L x 4.75" W x 6" H (8.3 cm x 12.1 cm x 15.2 cm). Provenance: Ex-Private Seattle, Wa collection acquired at auction Condition: Rattle repaired from 3 or 4 pieces, with restoration at top of head. Bowl with one reattached rim section, stable stress crack. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #111752
Pre-Columbian, Mayan territories, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 950 CE. An impressive and elaborate Mayan incensario fragment depicting a deity (whose face/mask projects as a large applied piece) most likely the sun god Kinich Ahau, designated as god G when referring to the codices. The element kinich refers to the sun-eyed feature that we see here as scrolled pupils and was used as a royal title during the Classic Period. This connection to kingship is celebrated in the radiating halo-like headdress as well as elaborate facial paint. God G is depicted as a middle aged man with an aquiline nose, spiraled/crossed eyes, and a filed incisor in the upper row of teeth as we see in this piece. The headdress shows suggestions of celestial and avian references as the sun god makes its way across the sky. Beyond its rich iconography, signs of the artisan's skilled technique and artistry add to its undeniable value. Size: 18" at widest diameter x 9-1/2"H + custom museum-quality stand (45.7 cm and 24.1 cm). Provenance: Ex-P. Haig collection, Rochester, MN Condition: Fragmentary as shown. Excellent original pigmentation. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #109909
Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, El Salvador, Copador, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A playful Mayan Copador polychrome terracotta bowl adorned with three lively monkeys painted in red and black against an orange slip. Similar examples depict monkeys chasing a ball in the traditional Mayan ballgame. Here a spherical, ball-like form is presented upon the bodies of each simian creature. Above is a rim band containing intricately detailed Copador type glyphs in red and deep orange against an orange slip. Monkeys have always been fascinating for their human-like behaviors and antics which seem to parody us. For this reason, in the Pre-Columbian world, monkeys were believed to serve as mediators between humankind and the supernatural realm. Size: 7.75" in diameter x 4" H (19.7 cm x 10.2 cm) Provenance: Ex-Private Young collection, Colorado Springs, CO Condition: A few stable fissures with some evidence of repair. Nice root marks and manganese deposits. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #111777
A collection to items to include: a brass Albert fob chain (missing fob); a brass match box holder with image of Mayan youth to front in relief, marked I.K.; a white metal pill box with hardstone to lid, foliate detailing to sides and base, plastic insert within; a silver double sided fob, one red hardstone, the other side green, marked Birmingham 1897; a leather glove sizer marked B.A. & Co; a gold plated brass Albert chain, marked T.H., small brass crucifix attached; a horn box with hinged lid (a/f); a pointed bone finial; a small white metal pencil lead holder; a miniature white metal Virgin Mary with brass coloured cylinder (10)
Pre-Columbian, Mexico or Guatemala, Mayan, ca. 6th to 9th century CE. The Maya had a preference for brilliant apple-green jade, quite different but no less aesthetically exquisite than the blue-green jade of the earlier Olmec peoples. This piece features a carved frontal visage of a Mayan ruler or lord with intricate headdress and finely delineated facial features. Perforations drilled at lower and upper edges for attachment to clothing. 2-1/4" (5.75 cm) H x 1-1/2" (3.75 cm) W x 3/8" (1 cm) D + custom stand. Provenance: Ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, IL, acquired prior to 1970. Condition: Near choice if not choice. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #102392
Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, El Salvador, ca 550 to 900 CE. Attractive pottery olla of rounded form, painted in 3 registers with red and black over tan base. Lower and upper bands in black in abstract and geometric designs, central panel in repeating glyphois of abstract human, avian and zoomorphic heads with additional glyphs added. Size: 7" D x 4-5/8" H. Provenance: Ex- M. Reinigercollection, Chicago, IL, Ex- Jones collection, UK. Condition: Small section of rim resto All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #111278
Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, probably Guatemala, ca. 550 to 900 CE. Interesting pottery cylinder - perhaps used to drink Mayan chocolate - and once covered in stucco. Lower section shows a deadly viper circling the vessel, mouth open exposing fangs and forked tongue, series of vertical stripes around entire scene. Size: 7" H (17.8 cm). Provenance: Ex- Private Florida collection acquired around 1980. Condition: Repaired from a dozen or so pieces with minor losses. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #111289
§ Leon Underwood (British, 1890-1975) Water Buffalo signed on the reverse "Leon Underwood" oil on canvas in a white painted and distressed frame 29 x 34cm (11 x 13in) Provenance: Bequeathed to Monica Rawlins by Jean Hebert who bought it directly from Leon Underwood. From the collection of Elisabeth Luard, Brynmeheryn. Leon Underwood was a sculptor, printmaker, painter, designer, writer and teacher, born in London. He studied from 1907-10 at Regent Street Polytechnic School of Art under Percival Gaskell, then a scholarship took him to Royal College of Art, 1910-13, where he was taught painting by Gerald Moira. After World War I service in Royal Engineers Camouflage Section, Underwood undertook commissiojns for the Imperial War Museum. Between 1919-1920 Underwood enrolled for a year's refresher course at the Slade School of Fine Art, in life drawing classes with Henry Tonks. The present painting is one of about 40 small paintings done after Leon Underwood's trip to Mexico in 1921. The 1920s were a prolific period for Underwood: he travelled extensively, notably in Mexico, studying Mayan and Aztec sculpture, and in Spain studying cave paintings; he exhibited widely; taught drawing at St Martin's School of Art; and in 1931 founded and published the magazine The island, to wich such artists as Henry Moore and Eileen Agar contributed. Dirty.
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