A Rare and Unusual Large Jade Head Pendant...

Description

A Rare and Unusual Large Jade Head Pendant
Costa Rica, c. 300 - 700 AD

Carved from a light blue-green stone with a high polish. The head with unusual band around mouth, segmented headband, and two back-to-back caiman heads at crown. Drilled at corners of the mouth and eyes, in headband, eyes and mouth of caimans. Pierced at sides for suspension. The back deeply carved in a wedge shape. In excellent condition.

Provenance:
Private collection, Atlanta, GA
Enrique Vargas Alfaro, 1960s. Mr. Alfaro was the source of highest quality Pre-Columbian art sold to prestigious collections such as Andre Emmerich, Morton D. May, Frederick and Jan Mayer, and William C. and Carol W. Thibodeaux. Artworks listing him as provenance appear in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, The Denver Art Museum, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum.

Enrique was the grandson of Anastasio Alfaro (1865-1951), archaeologist, geologist, ethnographer, explorer and writer -- an important personality in the cultural development of Costa Rica. He was a member of the board at the National Museum of Costa Rica and author of Antigüedades en Costa Rica (1892).



Height: 5 ½ inches

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