Costa Rican Jade Axe-God Celt Pendant, Incised Face
Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, ca. 500–1000 CE. A standing figure distilled into the blade of a celt, carved from grayish blue-green jade with a softly lustrous polish. The upper third bears the head: a domed cap above stepped notches, an angular face reduced to crossed and chevroned incisions, and biconical suspension holes drilled through the neck. Below, a raised transverse band carries finely ruled striations that read as arms folded across the stomach, the fingers delineated by parallel grooves. The lower body remains an unornamented, gently flaring blade with a rounded bit. Such "axe-god" pendants, worn suspended at the chest, converted the ordinary woodworking celt into an emblem of rank and likely of supernatural power, the labor-intensive stone itself signaling status. Size: 1.25" W x 3.75" H (3.2 cm W x 9.5 cm H).
The Costa Rican "axe-god" (hacha dios) is one of the most distinctive lapidary forms of the ancient Americas, concentrated in the Atlantic Watershed, Central Highlands, and Nicoya regions during the Period IV-V horizon. Jadeite and related greenstones were not locally abundant, and much of the raw material appears to have travelled south from the Motagua Valley sources of Guatemala, sometimes as recut Maya heirlooms. Without a lapidary wheel, carvers shaped these blades by pecking, sawing with cord and abrasive sand, and drilling with hollow reeds, so the crisp string-sawn grooves and paired biconical perforations here represent many hours of patient abrasion. The vertical, blade-bodied schema, all detail crowded into the head and chest, is a deliberate conceit: the tool remains legible beneath the deity.
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 #
73113
Condition
Intact, Excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, ca. 500–1000 CE. A standing figure distilled into the blade of a celt, carved from grayish blue-green jade with a softly lustrous polish. The upper third bears the head: a domed cap above stepped notches, an angular face reduced to crossed and chevroned incisions, and biconical suspension holes drilled through the neck. Below, a raised transverse band carries finely ruled striations that read as arms folded across the stomach, the fingers delineated by parallel grooves. The lower body remains an unornamented, gently flaring blade with a rounded bit. Such "axe-god" pendants, worn suspended at the chest, converted the ordinary woodworking celt into an emblem of rank and likely of supernatural power, the labor-intensive stone itself signaling status. Size: 1.25" W x 3.75" H (3.2 cm W x 9.5 cm H).
The Costa Rican "axe-god" (hacha dios) is one of the most distinctive lapidary forms of the ancient Americas, concentrated in the Atlantic Watershed, Central Highlands, and Nicoya regions during the Period IV-V horizon. Jadeite and related greenstones were not locally abundant, and much of the raw material appears to have travelled south from the Motagua Valley sources of Guatemala, sometimes as recut Maya heirlooms. Without a lapidary wheel, carvers shaped these blades by pecking, sawing with cord and abrasive sand, and drilling with hollow reeds, so the crisp string-sawn grooves and paired biconical perforations here represent many hours of patient abrasion. The vertical, blade-bodied schema, all detail crowded into the head and chest, is a deliberate conceit: the tool remains legible beneath the deity.
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 #
73113
Condition
Intact, Excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
