**Originally Listed At $400**

Pre-Columbian, Venezuela, Trujillo, ca. 300 to 1100 CE. A very large batwing pendant, carefully carved from mottled pale-green stone with beige, grey, and dark-brown inclusions. The wings of the pendant are broad and rectangular in form, and the 'head' is formed from a squat protrusion with pointed corners. In Venezuela, most bat species have been found in caves in the northeastern Andes, and the western and central parts of the Caribbean mountains. Although the stone for this piece is not native to the Venezuelan Andes, it was most likely traded from the northern edge of South America. Size: 12.5" L x 4.1" W (31.8 cm x 10.4 cm).

In the Pre-Columbian world, bats have traditionally been associated with rain and fertility. These nocturnal creatures who swoop and dart in the night sky symbolize the dark thunderclouds of rainstorms and are closely connected with maize production and by extension fertility of humankind. This exquisite piece captures the impressive wingspan of this creature as he navigates the darkness of night. An exquisite piece of wearable art, this bat pendant is special for its symbolism as well as its aesthetic qualities.

Provenance: private West Palm Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired via inheritance from the collection of Louis L. Scher, found in Venezuela during the 1960s and 1970s

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#145096

Minor nicks to peripheries and corners, with light abrasions to both faces. Light earthen deposits throughout.