- 31
Costa Rican Jade Figural Pendant, Atlantic Watershed zone, Middle-Late Period IV, ca. 300 B.C.-A.D. 500
Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- jade
- Height: 4 in ( 10.2 cm)
standing resolutely atop a double-headed alligator, the incised hands placed to the hips, the wide face marked by incisions as facial features, drilled eyes, and wearing a headdress of addorsed toucans; pierced at the sides for suspension.
Provenance
Andre Emmerich Inc.,
Count Guy du Boisrouvray, acquired from the above via Gübelin, Geneva, 1966, prior to the exhibition Les Tresors Precolombiens Chez Gübelin, May 2-31, 1966
Sotheby's, New York, The Collection of Late Count and Countess Guy du Boisrouvray, October 27 and 28, 1989, lot 187
Count Guy du Boisrouvray, acquired from the above via Gübelin, Geneva, 1966, prior to the exhibition Les Tresors Precolombiens Chez Gübelin, May 2-31, 1966
Sotheby's, New York, The Collection of Late Count and Countess Guy du Boisrouvray, October 27 and 28, 1989, lot 187
Condition
Excellent condition overall, color deeper blue-green than printed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Finely worked jade appeared in Costa Rica as early as 500 BC, with a florescence of work between AD 300-700. It was believed jade contained a sacred substance and ornaments worn by the elite signified their power and status. Birds perched on the head may have symbolized an avian emissary, serving as the soaring 'eyes and ears' of shaman (Snarskis in Jones 1998:74). See ibid. (Pl. 55) for a similar pendant.