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Maya Pendant
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 USD
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Description
- Jade
- Height: 1 1/2 in (3.8 cm)
Provenance
Aaron Furman, New York
Howard and Saretta Barnet, acquired from the above on December 12, 1957
Howard and Saretta Barnet, acquired from the above on December 12, 1957
Condition
Overall the piece is intact in the present form. Please note the pendant was part of a larger ornament, the old breaks at the top and bottom are nicely worn. Excellent applegreen colour.
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
Some of the finest Maya jade ornaments are small flat plaques and pendants, famously preserved in the offerings thrown into the sacred cenote at Chichén Itzá. This brilliant apple-green stone is carved with the most important deity of the Maya, the maize god head; his face is framed with a close-cropped billowing coiffure emulating flowing maize silk, with tripartite arched foliage rising at the top of the head. The face has subtly modelled cheeks, almond-shaped eyes and a thin rimmed open mouth showing two filed front teeth, a feature of high status individuals. He wears a pair of earspools and the whole is pierced laterally for suspension.
Compare to a pendant in the British Museum, London (inv. no. Am.9685), illustrated in Digby, Maya Jades, London, 1972, pl. XIV, fig. b; see also Schele and Miller, The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art, Fort Worth, 1986, p. 172, pl. 56 for the Maize lord head pendant at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (inv. no. 4/6276).
Compare to a pendant in the British Museum, London (inv. no. Am.9685), illustrated in Digby, Maya Jades, London, 1972, pl. XIV, fig. b; see also Schele and Miller, The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art, Fort Worth, 1986, p. 172, pl. 56 for the Maize lord head pendant at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (inv. no. 4/6276).