Olmec Jade Celt

Álvaro Guillot-Muñoz, Montevideo, acquired by 1950

Gérald Berjonneau, Paris, acquired by descent from the above

Sotheby's, New York, November 24, 1997, lot 80, consigned by the above

Assen and Christine Nicolov, Seattle, acquired at the above auction

Thence by descent to the present owner

Though some celts have inscribed designs, this jade achieves a smooth exterior through a process of grinding and polishing by a skilled lapidary. The celt takes the shape of an oblong, rounded rectangle, gradually narrowing into sharp edges typical of an axehead. 

The shape of the celt has a two-fold likeness: it mimics both an axe and an abstracted maize sprout. Domestic agriculture made the Olmec’s sedentary lifestyle possible, and maize became sacred for its role in sustaining the population. Celts were also cache objects, ritualistically buried to encourage a positive change to the community. The location of buried celts was believed to be an entrance to the otherworld, which was the place the Olmecs believed was the convergence of the underworld, earth, and sky. Therefore, celts acted as an intermediary between people on earth to those beyond. 

Cf. For a comparable celt, see The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1989.314.4).