**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 850 CE. A handsome and naturally rendered carved stone owl! The owl stands on two legs with his wings folded to his sides. Small incised lines indicate the heart-shaped array of feathers around his face characteristic of barn owls. The top of the head is pierced, perhaps for suspension, and the verso is flat with a slightly curved profile. The owl was widely symbolic in the Pre-Columbian world. Owls were considered Shamanic, guiding humans on their journeys to other worlds, the divine, and death - described in the Popol Vuh as messengers of Xibalba, the sinister underworld. In some cultures, an anthropomorphic owl represented a warrior or war god. Naturalistic depictions of barn owls, such as this example, were popular among the Maya! Size: 2" W x 3.25" H (5.1 cm x 8.3 cm)

Provenance: private California collection, USA; ex-collection Peter Arnovick, San Francisco, California, USA, before 2005

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#127837

Chip and loss to right foot and top of head. Some softening of details.