**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Early to Late Classic Period, ca. 250 to 900 CE. A beautiful greenstone ceremonial axe or gorget with a T-shaped profile, rounded blade and drilled holes for suspension or hafting. The stone is pecked and polished to showcase the gorgeous verdant hues and veining that this stone must have been prized for. The "T" is the glyph symbol for the Mayan word "ik" meaning both wind and breath, but also had other more ambiguous meanings. Ik' K'uh is the wind and music deity that embodied the breath or spirit, which sustains the gods and invigorates their spiritual force. Breath and breathing marked the difference between life and death, and the green color was associated with life and fertility - such as lush vegetation. Size: 5.5" L x 4" W (14 cm x 10.2 cm)

Please note that this was part of the William and Carol Thibadeau collection, and many pieces from their collection appear in exhibitions and permanent museum collections, including the Michael C. Carlos Museum and Nasher Museum of Art.

Provenance: private Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA collection; ex-William and Carol Thibadeau collection, from the 1970s

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.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

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#177987

Intact with only minor surface wear- abrasions and nicks. Gorgeous coloration and polished surface.