An Important Maya Pendant...

Description

An Important Maya Pendant
Mesoamerica, Late Classic Period, c. 600-900 AD

This finely carved, thick piece of shell bears the image of an ancestral lord borne through the otherworld sea by a fish. The artist has placed the lord as the pupil of the fish's eye, and the lord looks expectantly ahead, all suggesting anticipation and forward movement. Two shining pyrite disks are inlaid right behind the fishes mouth, suggesting bubbles. In very good to excellent condition, minor rubbed areas at the tail edge, red pigment rubbed into the grooves to bring out the figures.

Provenance:
A Private Collection, New York, NY, acquired in 2001
A Private Collection, New York, NY

Length: 5 inches

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