Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 1 to 800 CE. A beautiful, very dark green jadeite pendant with an elongated trapezoidal shape. Items like this one were carved from hand axes (celts) traded south from the great urban centers of Mesoamerica, worked into pendants by local Costa Rican artisans. This example is in the form of a bat with its wings folded inward around its body, its wide face and mouth emphasized. Bats were associated with the underworld in this culture. The neck of the animal is drilled through horizontally to allow the pendant to be worn. Size: 1.55" W x 2.2" H (3.9 cm x 5.6 cm)

Provenance: private Vaught collection, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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#125640

Small losses along lower "blade" edge and one on top of the bird's head, with very light surface scratching from handling. Cord shown in photograph is not included.