**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Ecuador, Valdivia culture, ca. 3500 to 1800 BCE. A lovely greenstone hand axe or celt that is comprised of a straight handle side and slightly flared corners, with a convex body that tapers to a rounded cutting edge. The jade is a lovely hue of dark gray with tones of moss green and speckled black and white inclusions. This celt was formed by pecking and grinding until smooth. The slight lateral projections on the handle edge may have made this blade head easier to attached to a wooden pole or handle. Hand axes of this form have been found as part of the Kotosh Religious tradition, a name that archaeologists have given to ritual buildings built between 3000 and 1500 BCE in the mountain drainages of the Andes. Celts like this one, although shaped like a utilitarian tool, were made specifically for ritual purposes and were often buried with people of importance. Size: 1.1" L x 5.4" W x 5.25" H (2.8 cm x 13.7 cm x 13.3 cm); 7.2" H (18.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: Private West Hollywood, California, USA collection, before 2010; ex-private Montecito residence designed and sourced by interior designer Michael Smith (worked on the Obama White House) around 2005

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#179176

Minor abrasions and nicks, otherwise intact and excellent. Great surface smoothness throughout.