**Originally Listed At $8000**

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. The remains of an incredible conch trumpet hand-etched with intricate imagery of glyphs and curvilinear motifs. Conch shell trumpets were used to announce victorious hunters returning and rituals, such as human sacrifice. Shell imagery was deeply symbolic to the Maya; shells came from the sea, which was the primordial space from which the world of humans originated and the watery underworld, Xibalba. The exterior spire and the columella spiral, the central 'spine' that is largely intact in this example, were seen as a symbol of the unending cycle of life and death. Conches also seem to have been closely connected to ideas of wind, moisture, and breath- the musician's lifeforce breath transformed into a powerful musical sound. Size: 14" L x 5.25" W (35.6 cm x 13.3 cm); 16.5" H (41.9 cm) on included custom stand.

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Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

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#173336

Fragmentary shell as shown, losses to body whorl and spire of shell as shown. Repairs to spire and columella. Chipping and surface wear. Light mineral deposits, Great remains of carvings and red pigments.