The axe gods are believed to have had ceremonial and symbolic significance, possibly representing deities or ancestral spirits. They were crafted with great skill, showcasing the artistic and technical prowess of the ancient cultures in the region. The use of jade underscores its cultural importance, as jade was highly valued for its rarity and perceived spiritual properties.
Carvings on Guanacaste-Nicoya Jade axe gods are culturally and symbolically significant, portraying mythological, spiritual, or ceremonial themes. These intricate carvings played a role in religious rituals, serving as conduits between the physical and spiritual realms. The artifacts, crafted with precious materials like jadeite jade, denoted high social status and participation in important ceremonies. Nature-inspired elements in the carvings highlight the cultural connection to the environment, while the use of jade adds ritualistic importance associated with fertility and renewal. These carvings offer insights into the cultural identity and artistic expression of the ancient Mesoamerican societies in the Guanacaste-Nicoya region.
Gorgeous Costa Rican Anthropomorphic Axe God Pendant. It is carved in low relief with a highly glass-like polish front. The rear surface is flat and party smooth. Minimal linear incising creates this outstanding abstract piece. The bottom edge is sharp without any chipping. Two drilled holes on each side, which this object could be suspended and worn. Dark green to Black jade. H. 6” tall. Mineral deposits throughout in microscopic crevices. Choice condition. Guanacaste-Nicoya region, Costa Rica. Ca. 500 B.C. – 500 A.D.
Outstanding piece!
Price $2,480
Casas Grande Paquimé Cougar Decorated Jar
This remarkable Casas Grande vessel is a Ramos Polychrome jar from Chihuahua, Mexico, dating back to the Paquimé phase (1205-1261 AD) within the Medio period (1060-1340).
This pottery exhibits an unslipped surface, complemented by a burnished bottom. The exterior features a three-panel layout adorned with intricate iconography across the quadrants. Notable design elements encompass various black color elaborate layouts in single, two-line, and four-line patterns; steps in solid red and black; scroll lines; barbed lines; a dotted checkerboard; a Macaw; a unique Puma/Cougar head; and above all, a possible sun deity with curved rays!
This is a genuine prehistoric piece with unique iconography.
Besides the minor rim chip, this vessel is intact and in near-choice condition.
Dimensions: 5.75”/14.60 cm in diameter, 4.5”/11.43 cm in height.
Provenance: Ex Carraher collection, Knoxville, TN. Acquired in the 1970s
Price $2,280
Guanacaste-Nicoya Jade Axe God
The axe gods are believed to have had ceremonial and symbolic significance, possibly representing deities or ancestral spirits. They were crafted with great skill, showcasing the artistic and technical prowess of the ancient cultures in the region. The use of jade underscores its cultural importance, as jade was highly valued for its rarity and perceived spiritual properties.
Carvings on Guanacaste-Nicoya Jade axe gods are culturally and symbolically significant, portraying mythological, spiritual, or ceremonial themes. These intricate carvings played a role in religious rituals, serving as conduits between the physical and spiritual realms. The artifacts, crafted with precious materials like jadeite jade, denoted high social status and participation in important ceremonies. Nature-inspired elements in the carvings highlight the cultural connection to the environment, while the use of jade adds ritualistic importance associated with fertility and renewal. These carvings offer insights into the cultural identity and artistic expression of the ancient Mesoamerican societies in the Guanacaste-Nicoya region.
This Olmecoid-type jade celt features exquisite low-relief carving with fine curvilinear incising, presenting a highly polished surface. It includes drilled pits for eyes and smaller pits at the corners of the mouth with an abbreviated square tongue. The nose exhibits a triangular shape with incised scrolled nose ornaments, and the short trapezoidal hat is adorned with two bands of incised braid and triangular patterns. The hands are positioned facing down near the waist. The rear is undecorated. It displays a flat sawed surface, partially smoothed with a broken septum. Additionally, there are two drilled holes on each side of the head, allowing for suspension and wear of this object. Dark green Jadeite.
H. 4.875”/12.38 cm. Choice to near choice condition. Guanacaste-Nicoya region, Costa Rica. Ca. 500 B.C. – 500 A.D.
Price $6,800
Condorhuasi-Alamito Stone Mask
The Condorhuasi culture, flourishing in pre-Columbian Argentina during the Late Archaic period (circa 400 BC to 500 AD), was centered in the Calchaquí Valleys, spanning provinces like Salta, Tucumán, and Catamarca. Characterized by distinctive circular structures and semi-subterranean buildings with central support posts, Condorhuasi sites showcase advanced architectural features. Their ceramics, adorned with geometric designs and stone sculptures, provide valuable insights into their craftsmanship. Engaging in agriculture at high altitudes, the Condorhuasi people cultivated maize, beans, and squash. Burial practices included collective sites with accompanying grave goods, shedding light on their cultural rituals. Participating in regional trade networks, evidence suggests connections with neighboring pre-Columbian cultures in the Andean region. The Condorhuasi culture is recognized as a significant precursor, contributing to the cultural evolution of the Calchaquí Valleys.
These stone masks, created by the Condorhuasi-Alamito people, hold significant historical and cultural value. They are very distinctive and have an eccentric look. A skilled artisan carved this heavy volcanic stone into this life-sized mystical mask. The surface is phenomenally smooth, showcasing remarkable attention to their pronounced brow ridge and nose. They have drilled perforations for their eyes and mouth with slightly raised ridges. All these features manifest in an artistic facial expression.
The back of the mask is somewhat concave. Small drilled holes on the outer upper perimeter are also evident, presumably to attach decorative artifacts like colorful feathers, fibers, metal adornments, or perhaps a funerary bundle.
Price $6,800
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Regional Division of Pre-Columbian Americas’ Major Archaeological Cultural Phases
Moche Copper Axe “Ai Apaec”
The Moche people’s utilization of intricately designed copper axe heads demonstrated advanced metalworking skills, with these artifacts holding profound cultural and symbolic significance in ceremonies and rituals. The elaborate axe head designs showcased the Moche’s artistic prowess and offered valuable insights into their social and religious beliefs.
This axe head is an extraordinarily decorated anthropomorphic blade. The artisans fashioned it from copper in the traditional Vicús style. Symbolic in material, technique, and form. The head depicts the fierce god Ai Apaec. Detail casting with shell embellishments for eyes and teeth. Heavily encrusted verdigris patina with sparkling crystals. Another feature worth noting is the visible patterns of embedded feathers captured on one side of the blades’ surface: Northeast coast, Peru ca. 400 B.C- 500 A.D.
Measures: 4.75”/12 cm in length by 2.5”/6.35 cm in height
A similar Vicús gilded mask is housed at the Museo Chileno De Arte Precolombino, No. MCHAP 0162
Other similar examples: Ref. Cobre Del Antiguo Peru, plates 151-154.
Ai Apaec, the Decapitator God in Moche mythology, held a dual role encompassing creation and destruction. This fiery deity was integral to agricultural fertility, ensuring prosperous harvests. The Moche people performed rituals, including human sacrifices, to appease Ai Apaec and navigate the delicate balance between seeking favor and averting potential chaos. Explore the intricate religious beliefs and practices surrounding this enigmatic Moche deity.
Price $7,500
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Regional Division of Pre-Columbian Americas’ Major Archaeological Cultural Phases
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