Veracruz Openwork Stone Hacha, Jaguar Head, ex-Harner
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Veracruz, ca. 600–900 CE. A gray volcanic stone hacha, its surface saturated with red cinnabar, carved as an abstract jaguar head seen in profile. The wide open jaws frame a broad openwork void, while a long tongue curls down from the roof of the mouth and the great cat's snout tapers to a raised muzzle. A notch crowns the head where the ears would rise, and a second notch marks the nose. Such thin, tenon-less stone heads were prestige objects associated with the Mesoamerican ballgame, likely worn ceremonially or displayed rather than fielded in play. Size: 10" W x 10.25" H (25.4 cm W x 26.0 cm H).
Mesoamerican ballplayers wore protective gear called hachas, palmas, and yokes to guard against the solid rubber ball's impact. The heavy yoke rode at the hips, with a palma or hacha mounted at the front. The thin, ornately carved stone versions like this one were almost certainly ceremonial or commemorative, too fragile for the violence of active play; their imagery may have identified teams, patrons, or individual players. The jaguar was among the most potent symbols in Gulf Coast iconography, a creature of the night and the underworld whose predatory power resonated with the ballgame's cosmological stakes of life, death, and rebirth. Cinnabar, a mercury sulfide pigment prized for its blood-red hue, frequently coated ritual and funerary objects across Mesoamerica, its color evoking vitality and sacrifice.
This item is a dropship lot and will ship directly from the consignor's location. All condition, dimension, material, and chemical composition data reflect consignor-supplied information.
Provenance: private Nevada collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, auction 81, lot 215, July 3, 2016; ex-Dr. David Harner Collection, Arkansas, 1950s-1960s (collection #04MY.33). Dr. Harner assembled a large collection of Pre-Columbian art, primarily from West Mexico, in the 1950s and 1960s, authenticated objects for Gilcrease Museum founder Tom Gilcrease, and later donated extensively to the museum; he is pictured in Who's Who in Indian Relics, Vol. 2 (1968)
This item is a dropship lot and will ship directly from the consignor's location. All condition, dimension, material, and chemical composition data reflect consignor-supplied information.
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 #
204230
Condition
Intact and in very good condition overall.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Veracruz, ca. 600–900 CE. A gray volcanic stone hacha, its surface saturated with red cinnabar, carved as an abstract jaguar head seen in profile. The wide open jaws frame a broad openwork void, while a long tongue curls down from the roof of the mouth and the great cat's snout tapers to a raised muzzle. A notch crowns the head where the ears would rise, and a second notch marks the nose. Such thin, tenon-less stone heads were prestige objects associated with the Mesoamerican ballgame, likely worn ceremonially or displayed rather than fielded in play. Size: 10" W x 10.25" H (25.4 cm W x 26.0 cm H).
Mesoamerican ballplayers wore protective gear called hachas, palmas, and yokes to guard against the solid rubber ball's impact. The heavy yoke rode at the hips, with a palma or hacha mounted at the front. The thin, ornately carved stone versions like this one were almost certainly ceremonial or commemorative, too fragile for the violence of active play; their imagery may have identified teams, patrons, or individual players. The jaguar was among the most potent symbols in Gulf Coast iconography, a creature of the night and the underworld whose predatory power resonated with the ballgame's cosmological stakes of life, death, and rebirth. Cinnabar, a mercury sulfide pigment prized for its blood-red hue, frequently coated ritual and funerary objects across Mesoamerica, its color evoking vitality and sacrifice.
This item is a dropship lot and will ship directly from the consignor's location. All condition, dimension, material, and chemical composition data reflect consignor-supplied information.
Provenance: private Nevada collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, auction 81, lot 215, July 3, 2016; ex-Dr. David Harner Collection, Arkansas, 1950s-1960s (collection #04MY.33). Dr. Harner assembled a large collection of Pre-Columbian art, primarily from West Mexico, in the 1950s and 1960s, authenticated objects for Gilcrease Museum founder Tom Gilcrease, and later donated extensively to the museum; he is pictured in Who's Who in Indian Relics, Vol. 2 (1968)
This item is a dropship lot and will ship directly from the consignor's location. All condition, dimension, material, and chemical composition data reflect consignor-supplied information.
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 #
204230
Condition
Intact and in very good condition overall.
Buyer's Premium
30%
