Colima Stone Axe Head with Zoomorphic Dog Terminal

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE – 300 CE. A ground stone axe head, dark and smooth, shaped as three distinct zones along its length. At one end a flattened blade flares into a broad, rounded crescent. The waisted midsection carries a tight grid of incised crosshatching, perhaps a texture to help secure a haft or lashing, perhaps purely ornament. The opposite end becomes an abstract animal head with pointed ears. Its raised eyes and snout are picked out with incised lines, and the result looks like a dog. Because the blade and the effigy share one body, the axe was likely more than a working tool. It was probably a ceremonial or prestige piece, with the image of an animal companion set into the stone. Size: 6" L x 3" W (15.2 cm L x 7.6 cm W).

Provenance: private Charlotte, North Carolina, USA collection, acquired in 2007 from Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Item #205670