Maya Greenstone Jaguar Piercer

Pre-Columbian, Mexico and northern Central America, Maya Territories, Late Classic, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A fascinating green carved hardstone ceremonial piercer capped by a jaguar head. It has a drilled openwork fanged mouth, drilled round eyes, and incised crosshatched details on top of his head. The act of offering human blood was the central ritual in Maya (and other Mesoamerican) society. Priests and politicians would pierce various soft tissues in public ceremonies, while many people would stop to pierce themselves and smear statues with blood as they walked past in their everyday lives. This is a fascinating and beautiful piece recalling some of the important parts of Maya society. Size: 1" W x 3.3" H (2.5 cm x 8.4 cm); 4.25" H (10.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s

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 to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#140949
Condition Report: Light surface wear commensurate with age. Deposits in lower profile areas. Really nice preservation of form.