Costa Rican Jade Axe-God Anthropomorphic Celt Pendant
Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, ca. 500–1000 CE. A slender celt of semi-translucent blue-green jade carved into a standing human figure. The polished blade tapers to a rounded bit below a belted waist, while above it a compact torso raises both hands over the stomach, fingers rendered in fine incision. The face is minimal and arresting: drilled round eyes, an angular nose in low relief, a wide banded mouth. Crowning the head is a very tall tapering headdress ringed with encircling grooves, its tip pierced by a biconical suspension hole so the pendant hung upright against the chest. Such "axe-god" pendants converted a working tool form into an emblem of rank, the labor of drilling and sawing hard stone with cord and abrasive sand making the object itself a measure of prestige. Size: 4.75" W x 0.75" H (12.1 cm W x 1.9 cm H).
Costa Rican lapidaries had no metal tools. Jade and related greenstones were shaped by string sawing with wet quartz sand, then drilled from both faces with hollow reed or bone bits and burnished to a glassy finish, a process measured in weeks rather than hours. The blank was almost always a celt, the polished stone axe that cleared forest and felled timber, and the carver's task was to coax a human or avian figure from its upper third without sacrificing the blade below.
The so-called axe-god pendants concentrate in the Nicoya region and the Atlantic watershed, appearing in elite burials of the Period IV and V horizons. Because Costa Rica has no confirmed jadeite source of its own, much of the raw material travelled south from the Motagua Valley of Guatemala, making these pendants evidence of long-distance exchange as well as of local artistry. Custom metal display base included.
Provenance: Collection of Jimmy Belilty, Miami. Acquired from Latin American Artist Carlos Poveda, Caracas and Paris, 1980 - 1990.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73112
Condition
Intact, Excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, ca. 500–1000 CE. A slender celt of semi-translucent blue-green jade carved into a standing human figure. The polished blade tapers to a rounded bit below a belted waist, while above it a compact torso raises both hands over the stomach, fingers rendered in fine incision. The face is minimal and arresting: drilled round eyes, an angular nose in low relief, a wide banded mouth. Crowning the head is a very tall tapering headdress ringed with encircling grooves, its tip pierced by a biconical suspension hole so the pendant hung upright against the chest. Such "axe-god" pendants converted a working tool form into an emblem of rank, the labor of drilling and sawing hard stone with cord and abrasive sand making the object itself a measure of prestige. Size: 4.75" W x 0.75" H (12.1 cm W x 1.9 cm H).
Costa Rican lapidaries had no metal tools. Jade and related greenstones were shaped by string sawing with wet quartz sand, then drilled from both faces with hollow reed or bone bits and burnished to a glassy finish, a process measured in weeks rather than hours. The blank was almost always a celt, the polished stone axe that cleared forest and felled timber, and the carver's task was to coax a human or avian figure from its upper third without sacrificing the blade below.
The so-called axe-god pendants concentrate in the Nicoya region and the Atlantic watershed, appearing in elite burials of the Period IV and V horizons. Because Costa Rica has no confirmed jadeite source of its own, much of the raw material travelled south from the Motagua Valley of Guatemala, making these pendants evidence of long-distance exchange as well as of local artistry. Custom metal display base included.
Provenance: Collection of Jimmy Belilty, Miami. Acquired from Latin American Artist Carlos Poveda, Caracas and Paris, 1980 - 1990.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73112
Condition
Intact, Excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
