RARE XLG Ancient Pre-Columbian Mexico Greenstone Pendant! With Petroglyph!

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

Artifacts, Antiques & Fine Collectibles

Item:  Extra-Large, Pre-Columbian Stone Pendant with Petroglyph

Material: Conical Shaped Greenstone, believed to be a light-gray form of Jadeite.

Approximate Measurements:

·       Diameter:  3.4” (87 mm)

·       Height with flat edge:  3"  (78 mm)

·       Thickness:  1.23” (31 mm)

·       Weight:  11.8 oz. (334 gr.)

Provenance/History:  This heavy, pre-Columbian stone artifact is about 2,000 years-old and was reportedly recovered from the ancient Colima culture in Western Mexico prior to 1970.  It is in Very Good to Excellent, Museum Quality condition and has a wonderful patina.

NOTE:  I will also include for FREE the pictured (see photo # 8), small, terracotta figure of a pregnant woman who is wearing a similar pendant/amulet around her neck.  This authentic, fragmented figure measures just 2.8” (71 mm) tall and her pendant appears to be suspended by an embroidered, wide sash.  Sadly, this pre-Columbian female figure is missing her head and legs, but it is still a remarkable little study piece that I think compliments this listed pendant.

NOTE:  These ancient artifacts are legal to buy/sell/own under the U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and they are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

SUMMARY

This ancient, pre-Columbian, gray stone pendant is a stunning, variegated greenstone with cream-colored highlights that look like puffy clouds and with my imagination—mythical animals.  This uniquely variegated greenstone was almost certainly chosen for its unique coloration and beauty.  It would have been highly prized by its owner, a member of the elite society in pre-Columbian Mexico.

The pendant is convex shaped with one flattened edge and a single suspension hole in the center that has been drilled by primitive, slow-speed hand-powered drill.  The hole has been drilled from both sides of the pendant and one side has a concave area around the center hole that measures about .5” (13 mm) deep.  It is likely this concave depression was made to allow this large stone pendant to lie flat against the chest when suspended from around the neck with a large sash.

PETROGLYPH {see photos # 2-4}

But what makes this large, stone pendant really RARE is a single, bold petroglyph that has been carefully pecked into the flattened base—see macro photo # ?.  The petroglyph measures about .8” in length and is shaped like the capital letter “A’ with a long tail on it.  Under 30x magnification, one can clearly see the individual chip marks the artist made while hammering this petroglyph character into the hard greenstone pendant.   I have been unable to decipher this single petroglyph, but would welcome any expert assistance of the translation of this glyph. 

Mesoamerican Greenstone Pendants

{Courtesy of Wikipedia}

From central Mexico to the northwestern border of Costa Rica, Mesoamerica was home to a group of advanced cultures for the 3,000 years prior to the Europeans arrival in the New World.  All of these cultures decorated themselves with various types of pendants, ear spools, necklaces, and headdresses.  But because of the advanced trade networks throughout the region, it is difficult to definitively attribute this artifact to a particular Mesoamerican culture.

There are four major Pre-Classic cultures - the Olmec, Nayarit, Colima and Jalisco – that occupy what is now the country of Mexico. The Classical Period civilizations of the area were the Teotihuacán, the Maya cities, the Classic Vera Cruz and Zapotec center at Monte Alban. The Tarascan, the Huastec and Totonac, the Toltec, the Aztecs and the Mixtec are the notable Post-Classical Period cultures of this area.

For the Pre-Columbian Maya, jadeite (also called “greenstone) was the preferred stone for denoting status and sacredness.  In fact, throughout Mesoamerica jadeite’s value was based on its relative scarcity, the polished stone's brilliant, glossy surface, its translucent colors which ranged from light to luxuriant blue-green, and the challenge of carving the stone due to its hardness. In addition to jade's impressive visual qualities and rarity, jade was symbolically linked to the miracle of the earth's fecundity, the maize god, and the life-giving promise of green plants and blue-green water. Together, these attributes made the stone the most valuable of all materials to adorn the nobility and the gods.

Among Mesoamerican archaeologists, "jade" or “greenstone” is sometimes used in a manner that does not differentiate between jadeite and other similar-looking, relatively hard greenstones such as albitite, omphacite, chrysoprase, and quartzite.  Mesoamerican artisans also used jade tools to work other stones.  It would take many days or weeks of work to create even a single jade pendant like this large example. 

Some view Jade use in Mesoamerica as largely influenced by the conceptualization of the material as a rare and valued commodity among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Olmec, the Maya, and the various groups in the Valley of Mexico. Until the 21st century, it was thought the only source from which the indigenous cultures could obtain jade was the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. In addition to being an elite good of highly symbolic use in the performance of ideological ritual the high pressure minerals that form the translucent rocks termed jades are much tougher and more damage resistant than slightly harder but far more brittle materials such as flint.

This extreme durability makes fine grained or fibrous jadeite and nephrite in effect the 'steel' of neolithic technology.   It was often worked or carved in a variety of ways, either as ornamental stones, a medium upon which hieroglyphs were inscribed, or shaped into figurines, weapons, and other objects. Many jade artifacts crafted by later Mesoamerican civilizations, appear cut from simple jade axes, implying that the earliest trade had a utilitarian component as well.

The name jadeite is derived (via French: l'ejade and Latin: ilia ) from the Spanish phrase "piedra de ijada " which means "stone of the side."  It was believed to cure kidney stones if it was rubbed against the side of the afflicted person's body. The Latin version of the name, lapis nephriticus, is the origin of the term nephrite, which is also a variety of jade.

The general term jade refers to two separate rock types. The first is called nephrite, a calcium and magnesium rich amphibole mineral. Nephrite does not exist in Mesoamerica, but is common in ancient Chinese artifacts.

The second type of stone is called jadeite, a pyroxene rich in sodium and aluminum. Variation in color is largely due to variation in trace element composition. In other words, the types of trace elements and their quantities affect the overall color of the material. The “Olmec Blue” jade owes its unique color to the presence of iron and titanium, while the more typical green jade’s color is due to the varying presence of sodium, aluminum, iron, and chromium. Translucence can vary as well, with specimens ranging from nearly clear to completely opaque like this pendant.

Each object I sell is professionally researched and compared with similar objects in the collections of the finest museums in the world. I have been dealing in fine antiquities for almost 50 years and although certainly not an expert in every field, I have been honored to appraise, buy, collect, and enjoy and recently sell some of the finest ancient art in the world. When in doubt, I have worked with dozens of subject matter experts and appraisers to determine the condition and authenticity of numerous antiquities and antiques. This documentation helps to insure you are buying quality items and helps to protect your investment.