Maya Imperial Jade Heirloom Cutting ...

Description

Maya Imperial Jade Heirloom Cutting

Maya
C. 600-900 AD
Jadeite
1¾" x 1½" x ¾"

The beautiful green stone holds a brilliant polish and would have been a very large pendant. The piece is finished and rounded on one side and string cut on three others showing that the original pendant was string cut into various pieces to be given to others or used to carve a different piece of jewelry. The cuts indicate that this was not just a half of a pendant, but instead, that the original pendant was cut into at least six pieces, probably more. All sides have brilliant polish, and in an odd trait, it has the original drilled suspension hole but a second suspension drilling was made in the opposite direction which would have taken a great deal of effort and, for what purpose? The existing image shows three human hands in a ceremonial gesture of rulership, one of them with a beaded bracelet, possibly a part of a face, and other partial imagery that would need the other pieces to come together.

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