**Originally Listed At $800**

Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Tairona culture, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. An intriguing pectoral or pendant known as a batwing pectoral, carved from pale greenstone, perhaps steatite. The name is derived from the highly abstract form that resembles the nocturnal creature. At the center is an upward curve with two pointed tabs to suggest a bat head, and the tabs are pierced laterally. These suspension tabs are then flanked by the lengthy cylindrical "wings." Bat-wing pendants served a symbolic purpose and have been found in the regions spanning from southern Mexico to Venezuela as well as on some islands in the Caribbean, often found in caches of other stone artifacts buried under floors of houses and temples. The ancients of the Americas traditionally associated bats that swooped and darted in the night sky with rain and fertility, and the green color of stones also symbolized this fertility. Size: 7.375" L x 0.675" W (18.7 cm x 1.7 cm); 4" H (10.2 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, USA collection, purchased 1968 to 1969

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#165138

Repaired from two pieces, with visible break line across center. Stable fissure radiating from this area and two chips. Minor surface nicks. Polished surface and nice coloration.