Pre-Columbian, southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A beautiful greenstone celt with a hefty butt that narrows to a thin, curved blade, incised on one side with a standing warrior. The stylized figure presents semicircular eyes, a rectangular nose, gritted teeth, and circular ornaments on each cheek, all beneath a striated headdress. Since not all celts were created as implements of ritual sacrifice, scholars posit that many were intended to be buried as votive offerings with rulers or individuals of high wealth and social standing. Size: 1.8" L x 1.2" W x 3.4" H (4.6 cm x 3 cm x 8.6 cm)

Provenance: private Washington, D.C., USA collection, collected in the Yucatan, Mexico area in the 1950's

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#182602

Light surface wear, but otherwise intact and impressively preserved with great remaining detail. Modern pigment in one small area.