Olmec Serpentine Were-Jaguar Mask Pendant (Transformation)
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Olmec, ca. 1000–600 BCE. A small mask of deep green serpentine, carved as a human face caught mid-transformation into a jaguar. Slit eyes are drilled and recessed beneath heavy brows, the nostrils bored into a broad snoutlike nose, and the parted bow-shaped lips draw back from the mouth, drilled at each corner. Narrow tab ears carry perforated lobes, and biconical suspension holes pierce the temples, indicating the piece was worn as a pendant, perhaps on the chest of a ruler or ritual specialist. Mineral deposits remain lodged in the drilled hollows, and the polished stone retains an ancient surface. Presented on a custom base. Size: 2.25" W x 2.333" H (5.7 cm W x 5.9 cm H).
The were-jaguar is the central supernatural of Olmec art: a composite being fusing infant human features with the snarling, toothed mouth and flared nose of the jaguar. Olmec belief appears to have held that rulers and shamans could cross into animal form, and the transformation face records that passage rather than a portrait of an individual.
Green stone carried its own charge. Serpentine, jadeite, and related greenstones were traded over long distances from sources in the Motagua valley and the Guerrero highlands, and their color linked maize, water, and the breath of life. Worked with abrasives, cord, and hollow drills rather than metal tools, a maskette of this refinement represented an extraordinary investment of labor and would have marked its wearer's rank as clearly as it invoked the deity it depicts.
Provenance: Collection of Fred Leighton, NYC., ex. Alexander Acevedo, Alexander Gallery, NYC.
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 #
73004
Condition
Excellent ancient surface patina with scattered deposits in the carved and drilled areas. Intact, excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Olmec, ca. 1000–600 BCE. A small mask of deep green serpentine, carved as a human face caught mid-transformation into a jaguar. Slit eyes are drilled and recessed beneath heavy brows, the nostrils bored into a broad snoutlike nose, and the parted bow-shaped lips draw back from the mouth, drilled at each corner. Narrow tab ears carry perforated lobes, and biconical suspension holes pierce the temples, indicating the piece was worn as a pendant, perhaps on the chest of a ruler or ritual specialist. Mineral deposits remain lodged in the drilled hollows, and the polished stone retains an ancient surface. Presented on a custom base. Size: 2.25" W x 2.333" H (5.7 cm W x 5.9 cm H).
The were-jaguar is the central supernatural of Olmec art: a composite being fusing infant human features with the snarling, toothed mouth and flared nose of the jaguar. Olmec belief appears to have held that rulers and shamans could cross into animal form, and the transformation face records that passage rather than a portrait of an individual.
Green stone carried its own charge. Serpentine, jadeite, and related greenstones were traded over long distances from sources in the Motagua valley and the Guerrero highlands, and their color linked maize, water, and the breath of life. Worked with abrasives, cord, and hollow drills rather than metal tools, a maskette of this refinement represented an extraordinary investment of labor and would have marked its wearer's rank as clearly as it invoked the deity it depicts.
Provenance: Collection of Fred Leighton, NYC., ex. Alexander Acevedo, Alexander Gallery, NYC.
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 #
73004
Condition
Excellent ancient surface patina with scattered deposits in the carved and drilled areas. Intact, excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
