**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Mixtec/Aztec, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. An intricate shell roundel hand-cut with exquisite open work. The lines, circles, and arrowhead shapes radiate outwards, forming an abstract sun, a symbol of the Mixtec and Aztec cultures. The warm white surface of the shell is lustrous under the mineral deposits; likely carved from a shatter resistant conch shell, a choice material for delicate carvings such as this roundel. Perhaps fashioned as a pendant to adorn an elite member of society, or attached to an ear spool, the sun disc granted spiritual power to its wearer. The cosmos was heavily studied by ancient Mesoamerican cultures, and the sun god became a deity of great importance. This roundel pendant has a configuration strikingly similar to the famous Aztec Sun Stone, a religious calendar. Size: 3.25" Diameter (8.3 cm); 5.12" H (13 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired 2002; ex-Knox collection, Arizona, USA

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#159382

Minor nicks, abrasions, and surface wear commensurate with age. Old inventory label on backside and mineral deposits. Finely carved and intact!