Maya Jade Column, Plaited Mat Relief, Ah Pop Rulership
Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Maya, ca. 500–800 CE. A columnar pectoral carved from creamy pale bluish-green jade, its body wrapped in an interlaced weave in low relief that mimics a plaited mat. Eight vertical rows of biconical drillings pierce the pattern, each perforation worked from both faces in the standard Mesoamerican manner, allowing the ornament to be suspended or sewn to a garment. Stepped, flaring flat rims finish both ends, and a hollow channel runs the length of the core. The surface carries a mellow patina with russet mineral staining in the recesses. Such large worked jades were reserved for elite regalia, the plaited motif likely invoking the woven mat, or pop, an enduring Maya emblem of rulership. Presented on a custom hardwood block base. Size: 2" Diam x 4.125" H (5.1 cm Diam x 10.5 cm H).
Jade held a value in Maya courts far above gold: green stone was the color of maize, water, and breath, and worked jade circulated as tribute, dedicatory cache offering, and burial furniture for rulers. The woven-mat design carved here belongs to a deep symbolic vocabulary. The pop, or plaited mat, named both the throne a lord sat upon and the first month of the solar calendar, Pop, and the title ah pop, "he of the mat," designated a ruler. A mat pattern rendered in imported Motagua Valley jadeite is therefore a statement of rank as much as an ornament, and hollow tubular forms of this scale are markedly less common than the flat plaque and bead pectorals that dominate surviving Classic period jade assemblages.
Provenance: Collection of Jimmy Belilty, Miami. Acquired 1990’s from the collection of Hector Santamarina, Miami, 1950’s - 1960’s.
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 #
73064
Condition
Excellent mellow surface patina. Intact, excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Maya, ca. 500–800 CE. A columnar pectoral carved from creamy pale bluish-green jade, its body wrapped in an interlaced weave in low relief that mimics a plaited mat. Eight vertical rows of biconical drillings pierce the pattern, each perforation worked from both faces in the standard Mesoamerican manner, allowing the ornament to be suspended or sewn to a garment. Stepped, flaring flat rims finish both ends, and a hollow channel runs the length of the core. The surface carries a mellow patina with russet mineral staining in the recesses. Such large worked jades were reserved for elite regalia, the plaited motif likely invoking the woven mat, or pop, an enduring Maya emblem of rulership. Presented on a custom hardwood block base. Size: 2" Diam x 4.125" H (5.1 cm Diam x 10.5 cm H).
Jade held a value in Maya courts far above gold: green stone was the color of maize, water, and breath, and worked jade circulated as tribute, dedicatory cache offering, and burial furniture for rulers. The woven-mat design carved here belongs to a deep symbolic vocabulary. The pop, or plaited mat, named both the throne a lord sat upon and the first month of the solar calendar, Pop, and the title ah pop, "he of the mat," designated a ruler. A mat pattern rendered in imported Motagua Valley jadeite is therefore a statement of rank as much as an ornament, and hollow tubular forms of this scale are markedly less common than the flat plaque and bead pectorals that dominate surviving Classic period jade assemblages.
Provenance: Collection of Jimmy Belilty, Miami. Acquired 1990’s from the collection of Hector Santamarina, Miami, 1950’s - 1960’s.
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 #
73064
Condition
Excellent mellow surface patina. Intact, excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
