**Previously Listed At $250**

Pre-Columbian, Mayan territories, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A striking pendant, finely carved from a beautiful piece of blue-green jade with white and russet inclusions to represent a frontal visage of a face or maskette with features that are somewhat Olmecoid in appearance. Note those very full, jowly babyface cheeks, dramatically slanted eyes, and full lips - all upon a misshapen head, a sign of high status most likely due to an artificial cranial deformation, as the elite Olmec traditionally wore tight-fitting helmets. It was not uncommon for the Maya to model their visual culture upon the former Olmec style - perhaps a sign of reverence for the first major civilization of Mesoamerica. Bilaterally perforated at the temples for suspension. Size: 1" L x 1.125" W (2.5 cm x 2.9 cm)

Just as green jade was reserved for elite Chinese emperors, in the Pre-Columbian world precious articles made from jade were reserved for royalty. Though post-dating the Maya, a legendary story about the Aztec leader Moctezuma illustrates just how valuable jade was to the ancients of the Americas. Moctezuma gave the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés four jade beads as tribute, noting that each bead was worth two loads of gold. The Spanish conquistador, however, only longed for gold, and dismissed the jade treasures as nothing more than lackluster green rocks. Moctezuma was amused by this foolish preference of the Spaniard.

Provenance: private York, England collection, formed before 1990

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#122765

Overall excellent!