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1 Chapter 1 : Pre-Columbian Pottery, Figures, Stones, Beads & Jade for Sale Find great deals on ebay for pre columbian jade. Shop with confidence. Southwest Oasisamerica Numerous pre-columbian societies were sedentary, such as the Pueblo peoples, Mandan, Hidatsa and others, and some established large settlements, even cities, such as Cahokia, in what is now Illinois. The Iroquois League of Nations or "People of the Long House" was a politically advanced, democratic society, which is thought by some historians to have influenced the United States Constitution, [22] [23] with the Senate passing a resolution to this effect in Mesoamerican is the adjective generally used to refer to that group of pre-columbian cultures. This refers to an environmental area occupied by an assortment of ancient cultures that shared religious beliefs, art, architecture, and technology in the Americas for more than three thousand years. Between and BCE, complex cultures began to form in Mesoamerica. The Mexica civilization is also known as the Aztec Triple Alliance, since they were three smaller kingdoms loosely united together. They also invented the wheel, but it was used solely as a toy. In addition, they used native copper, silver and gold for metalworking. Their number system was base 20 and included zero. These early count-markings were associated with astronomical events and underscore the influence that astronomical activities had upon Mesoamerican people before the arrival of Europeans. Many of the later Mesoamerican civilizations carefully built their cities and ceremonial centers according to specific astronomical events. The biggest Mesoamerican cities, such as Teotihuacan, Tenochtitlan, and Cholula, were among the largest in the world. These cities grew as centers of commerce, ideas, ceremonies, and theology, and they radiated influence outwards onto neighboring cultures in central Mexico. While many city-states, kingdoms, and empires competed with one another for power and prestige, Mesoamerica can be said to have had five major civilizations: These civilizations with the exception of the politically fragmented Maya extended their reach across Mesoamericaâ and beyondâ like no others. They consolidated power and distributed influence in matters of trade, art, politics, technology, and theology. Other regional power players made economic and political alliances with these civilizations over the span of 4, years. Many made war with them, but almost all peoples found themselves within one of their spheres of influence. Regional communications in ancient Mesoamerica have been the subject of considerable research. There is evidence of trade routes starting as far north as the Mexico Central Plateau, and going down to the Pacific coast. These trade routes and cultural contacts then went on as far as Central America. These networks operated with various interruptions from pre-olmec times and up to the Late Classical Period â CE. Olmec The earliest known civilization is the Olmec. This civilization established the cultural blueprint by which all succeeding indigenous civilizations would follow in Mexico. Pre-Olmec civilization began with the production of pottery in abundance, around BCE in the Grijalva River delta. Their achievements paved the way for the Maya civilization and the civilizations in central Mexico. Teotihuacan The decline of the Olmec resulted in a power vacuum in Mexico. Emerging from that vacuum was Teotihuacan, first settled in BCE. By CE, Teotihuacan had risen to become the first true metropolis of what is now called North America. Teotihuacan established a new economic and political order never before seen in Mexico. Within the city of Teotihuacan was a diverse and cosmopolitan population. Most of the regional ethnicities of Mexico were represented in the city, such as Zapotecs from the Oaxaca region. It was a city whose monumental architecture reflected a monumental new era in Mexican civilization, declining in political power about CEâ but lasting in cultural influence for the better part of a millennium, to around CE. Maya architecture at Uxmal Main article: Tarascan State Initially, the lands that would someday comprise the lands of the powerful Tarascan Empire was inhabited by several independent communities. Around, however, the first Cazonci, Tariacuri, united these communities and built them into one of the most advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica. Their capital at Tzintzuntzan was just one of the many cities--there were ninety more under its control. The Tarascan Empire was among the largest in Central America, so it is no surprise that they routinely came into conflict with the neighboring Aztec Empire. Out of all the civilizations in its area, the Tarascan Empire was the most prominent in metallurgy, harnessing copper, silver, and gold to create items such as tools, decorations, and even weapons and armor. Bronze was also used. Page 1

2 The great victories over the Aztecs by the Tarascans cannot be understated. Nearly every war they fought in resulted in a Tarascan victory. Because the Tarascan Empire had little links to the former Toltec Empire, they were also quite independent in culture from their neighbors. This is because they were all directly preceded by the Toltecs, and they therefore shared almost identical cultures. The Tarascans, however, possessed a unique religion, as well as other things. The period between CE and CE was a time of intense flourishing of Maya civilized accomplishments. While the many Maya city-states never achieved political unity on the order of the central Mexican civilizations, they exerted a tremendous intellectual influence upon Mexico and Central America. The Maya built some of the most elaborate cities on the continent, and made innovations in mathematics, astronomy, and calendrics. The Mayans also evolved the only true writing system native to the Americas using pictographs and syllabic elements in the form of texts and codices inscribed on stone, pottery, wood, or highly perishable books made from bark paper. Aztec With the decline of the Toltec civilization came political fragmentation in the Valley of Mexico. Into this new political game of contenders to the Toltec throne stepped outsiders: Since they were not from the Valley of Mexico, they were initially seen as crude and unrefined in the ways of Nahua civilization. For them, arts, sculpture, architecture, engraving, feather-mosaic work, and the calendar, were bequest from the former inhabitants of Tula, the Toltecs. The Mexica-Aztecs were the rulers of much of central Mexico by about while Yaquis, Coras and Apaches commanded sizable regions of northern desert, having subjugated most of the other regional states by the s. At their peak,, Mexica[ citation needed ] presided over a wealthy tribute-empire variously estimated at 5â 8 million people in total a population of 8â 12 millions. The actual population is never more than an estimate. The modern name "Mexico" comes from their name. Their capital, Tenochtitlan, is the site of modern-day capital of Mexico, Mexico City. At its peak, it was one of the largest cities in the world with population estimates of â, Page 2

3 Chapter 2 : PRE-COLUMBIAN JADE MAYAN Pendant - $ PicClick Jade objects varied in size and shapes and included necklaces, pendants, pectorals, ear ornaments, beads, mosaic masks, vessels, rings, and statues. Among the most famous jade artifacts from the Maya region, we can include funeral masks and vessels from Tikal, and Pakal's funeral mask and jewels from the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque. Taxco "tree of life" earrings, one pin, and pendants. This precolumbian bead strand from Mexico has a nice mix of beads on it. It is ready to turn into a wearable necklace with some restringing and a clasp. The strand has 22 inches of beads on it, a mix of greenstone, white stone and shell. The green tubular bead has a chip at one end. There are two double holed pieces on the strand. Here is a 21 inch long gorgeous strand of amber beads from Chiapas. The largest diameter bead in the front is 1 inch across. The beads are in attractive chisel shapes with soft facets and nicely graduated. All of my amber has been light tested to make sure that it is good natural amber - no repros here. There are two strands of finished Chiapas amber necklaces here though you can easily cut the beads and restring them to your desired length each with an attractive pendant. Necklace 2 is also 19 inches long with a slice of raw amber as a pendant. There are two very different strands of amber beads from Chiapas here and yes, I tested each strand and each piece to make sure that they are good, genuine amber both quite impressive. Necklace 1 is 24 inches long with a 3 inch long pendant bead. The colours are rich and attractive. There are easily enough beads to make both a long necklace and bracelet. Strand 1 of these amber beads from Chiapas is the largest of this group. This does not have a clasp so needs to be finished into a necklace. Here are some great natural amber slices from Chiapas, all with a hole drilled across to turn them into pendants. There are three slices of rough amber here from Chiapas. If you look carefully you can see that there is a stringing hole cut across the top of each one so that it can be used as a pendant. The rough shapes of these pieces work beautifully with more polished and disciplined beads in a necklace. This is a newly made retablo ex-voto which has been dated into the past, as the new ones often are. This is what is written at the bottom: Yo agrade sido de las Grasias. The english version is basically: These are all ready to hang by the strings that are wound through a hole at the top. It is an attractive dark spotted greenstone, often called "jade" but that is not technically correct. The stone has been laced with patterns created from long burial. The round part at the handle end can be gripped very comfortably. I love holding these pieces. This must have had a very specific use to it. Part of the stone is quite rough - that is the side that I took the photo from. The other side is much smoother and must have been the side that rested against the palm of the hand. These pieces do excite me. The stringing hole is large enough for an average leather cord. This was brought in by a farmer who found it while turning the soil in his field. This group of precolumbian stone pendants all came out of the State of Guerrero. Face 4 seems to be wearing a hat. Pendant 6 is an entire person with the top half being the head, and the bottom half the rest of the body. There are two strands of precolumbian shell beads here, each very distinctive. Strand 1 is made up of 5 beads. They could be the basis for a very interesting necklace or the pieces could be used separately. It could easily be strung into a finished necklace. These came from the State of Guerrero and are more attractive in real life. Strand 1 is 20 inches long, plenty for a necklace. The stones are a dark green, sometimes almost black. The beads have been sorted so that they carefully graduated. There is a nice selection of beads with some attractive green ones included. The precolumbian diorite strands here both have face masks as pendants. The beads are mostly greenstone, many with attractive spotting on them. The face has been worn, one can see the flat mouth and the smallest spots for eyes. It all looks good together. There are two attractive polished beads at the front and 1 inch long central pendant bead. The 21 inches of precolumbian stone beads in Strand 2 are very unusual cut in slices just like coconut beads might be, or shell beads at times. This is stone though and a pendant or unusual beads along the strand would look great. The entire strand is 15 inches long. There are two very nice tubular beads at the front as well. These rough beads were collected by a group of farmers when plowing their crops in their Guerrero village. They are in odd shapes and were oiled with "Pomada De Tepezcohuite" This is an ointment used on skin for burns, sprains, arthritis, etc. Strand 2 is 22 inches long. Strand 3 is 21 inches long. This is a wonderful precolumbian clay whistle. This is a beautifully constructed sculpture of a face. This sits beautifully as a sculpture in a display Page 3

4 case. This precolumbian clay whistle has a face that reminds me of the people of SouthEast Asia. There have long been discussions on travels across oceans long before the Spaniards arrive and pieces like this are indicators. It still has dirt inside from long burial but is easily ready to sit as a sculpture in a display case. I have two pictures of the Virgin of Guadalupe, both in wood frames - one in red, and the other in yellow. There is a lovely beaded zip top bag here made by Huichol beadworkers. These beautiful little bags are woven of wool and them embroidered with cotton in brilliant colours. Each bag is different and many are made by groups of women. The bags average 4 inches by 3 inches, tie shut and have shoulder straps tucked inside them that you can pull out. It has a reasonably sized hole for stringing. The two prehispanic stone pendant pieces from Guerrero are quite different. It has a large mouth and then depressions for the eyes with the stringing hole running across the back in a rather odd way. One needs to do research to discover what this carved pendant represents. It is precolumbian and from the State of Guerrero. It is slightly over 2 inches long. I bought a number of interesting contemporary items in Malinalco in the State of Mexico. There are lots of artists in stone, wood, horn, silver etc. This is a leg carved from stone. It is a very interesting pendant. The ring is a size 8. This lovely creature was made of natural materials - the wings being horn - I am not sure what the creamy part is made of. I bought this in the town of Malinalco, known as a "magical" town. This is quite a magical piece itself. It simply has a leather cord going through but that can be changed to what suits you, or this could be added to a beaded necklace. This contemporary pendant from Malinalco, Mexico is made of both wood and silver. The silver piece is rivetted onto the wood. This very attractive contemporary quartz frog was carved in a village in Guerrero in the same tradition as in the past. It sits like a real frog deciding on where it will hop next. This amethyst pendant has a stringing hole behind the knees of the legs are that are bent in the back of the piece. It was carved in a village in Guerrero in the same tradition as in the past. The colour of the amethyst is very pale and delicate. They are vintage from the 50s or 60s I imagine, not in perfect condition but in quite good condition especially after those years. Three of them have the original prices stamped on the backs, 85cents each - unfortunately that was in the "old days" These are often called "jade" by dealers but although they are symbolically known as jade, they are technically greenstone. Strand 2 is 19 inches long. Page 4

5 Chapter 3 : Jade use in Mesoamerica - Wikipedia Find great deals on ebay for precolumbian jade. Shop with confidence. Mesoamerican civilization The term Mesoamerica denotes the part of Mexico and Central America that was civilized in pre-spanish times. In many respects, the American Indians who inhabited Mesoamerica were the most advanced native peoples in the Western Hemisphere. The northern border of Mesoamerica runs west from a point on the Gulf coast of Mexico above the modern port of Tampico, then dips south to exclude much of the central desert of highland Mexico, meeting the Pacific coast opposite the tip of Baja Lower California. On the southeast, the boundary extends from northwestern Honduras on the Caribbean across to the Pacific shore in El Salvador. Geographically and culturally, Mesoamerica consists of two strongly contrasted regions: The Mexican highlands are formed mainly by the two Sierra Madre ranges that sweep down on the east and west. Lying athwart them is a volcanic cordillera stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The high valleys and landlocked basins of Mexico were important centres of pre-spanish civilization. In the southeastern part of Mesoamerica lie the partly volcanic Chiapasâ Guatemala highlands. The lowlands are primarily coastal. Agriculture in Mesoamerica was advanced and complex. A great many crops were planted, of which corn, beans, and squashes were the most important. In the highlands, hoe cultivation of more or less permanent fields was the rule, with such intensive forms of agriculture as irrigation and chinampas the so-called floating gardens reclaimed from lakes or ponds practiced in some regions. In contrast, lowland agriculture was frequently of the shifting variety; a patch of jungle was first selected, felled and burned toward the end of the dry season, and then planted with a digging stick in time for the first rains. After a few years of planting, the field was abandoned to the forest, as competition from weeds and declining soil fertility resulted in diminishing yields. In addition, terraces were constructed and employed for farming in some lowland regions. Nevertheless, the demographic potential for agriculture was probably always greater in the highlands than it was in the lowlands, and this was demonstrated in the more extensive urban developments in the former area. The extreme diversity of the Mesoamerican environment produced what has been called symbiosis among its subregions. Interregional exchange of agricultural products, luxury items, and other commodities led to the development of large and well-regulated markets in which cacao beans were used for money. It may have also led to large-scale political unity and even to states and empires. High agricultural productivity resulted in a nonfarming class of artisans who were responsible for an advanced stone architecture, featuring the construction of stepped pyramids, and for highly evolved styles of sculpture, pottery, and painting. The Mesoamerican system of thought, recorded in folding-screen books of deerskin or bark paper, was perhaps of even greater importance in setting them off from other New World peoples. The religious life was geared to this cycle, which is unique to them. The Mesoamerican pantheon was associated with the calendar and featured an old, dual creator god; a god of royal descent and warfare; a sun god and moon goddess; a rain god; a culture hero called the Feathered Serpent; and many other deities. Also characteristic was a layered system of 13 heavens and nine underworlds, each with its presiding god. Much of the system was under the control of a priesthood that also maintained an advanced knowledge of astronomy. Some seven Mesoamerican language families and three language isolates were found in Mesoamerica. Most Mesoamerican languages are grouped in one of four families: The Mayan family contains a number of mutually unintelligible languages, at least some of which were spoken by the inhabitants of the great Maya ceremonial centres. The modern Mexican state of Oaxaca is now the centre of the heterogeneous Otomanguean phylum; but the only linguistic groups of that family that played a great part in Mesoamerican civilization were the Mixtec and Zapotec, both of which had large, powerful kingdoms at the time of the Spanish conquest. Huave and Cuitlatec are also language isolates. Pre-Classic and Classic periods Early hunters to bce The time of the first peopling of Mesoamerica remains a puzzle, as it does for that of the New World in general. Until recently it was widely accepted that groups of peoples entered the hemisphere from northeastern Siberia, perhaps by a land bridge that then existed, at some time in the Late Pleistocene, or Ice Age. But radiocarbon dating and other relatively recent tools have complicated the story. Perhaps they entered the West Coast from the sea at multiple points. There is Page 5

6 abundant evidence that, at least by 11, bce, hunting peoples had occupied most of the New World south of the glacial ice cap covering northern North America. These peoples hunted such large grazing mammals as mammoth, mastodon, horse, and camel, armed with spears to which were attached finely made, bifacially chipped points of stone. In archaeologists working at the site of Tlapacoya, southeast of Mexico City, uncovered a well-made blade of obsidian associated with a radiocarbon date of about 21, bce. Near Puebla, Mexico, excavations in the Valsequillo region revealed cultural remains of human groups that were hunting mammoth and other extinct animals, along with unifacially worked points, scrapers, perforators, burins, and knives. A date of about 21, bce has been suggested for the Valsequillo finds. More substantial information on Late Pleistocene occupations of Mesoamerica comes from excavations near Tepexpan, northeast of Mexico City. The excavated skeletons of two mammoths showed that these beasts had been killed with spears fitted with lancelike stone points and had been butchered on the spot. A possible date of about bce has been suggested for the two mammoth kills. While the association with the mammoths was first questioned, fluorine tests have proved them to be contemporary. The environment of these earliest Mesoamericans was quite different from that existing today, for volcanoes were then extremely active, covering thousands of square miles with ashes. Temperatures were substantially lower, and local glaciers formed on the highest peaks. Conditions were ideal for the large herds of grazing mammals that roamed Mesoamerica, especially in the highland valleys, much of which consisted of cool, wet grasslands not unlike the plains of the northern United States. All of this changed around bce, when worldwide temperatures rose and the great ice sheets of northern latitudes began their final retreat. This brought to an end the successful hunting way of life that had been followed by Mesoamericans, although humans probably also played a role in bringing about the extinction of the large game animals. Incipient agriculture â bce The most crucial event in the prehistory of Mesoamerica was the human capture of the food energy contained in plants. This process centred on three plants: Indian corn maize, beans, and squashes. Since about 90 percent of all food calories in the diet of Mesoamericans eventually came from corn, archaeologists for a long time have sought the origins of this plantâ which has no wild forms existing todayâ in order to throw light on the agricultural basis of Mesoamerican civilization. The search for Mesoamerican agricultural origins has been carried forward most successfully through excavations in dry caves and rock shelters in the modern southern Mexican states of Puebla and Oaxaca. Sequences from these archaeological sites show a gradual transition from the Early Hunting to the Incipient Cultivation periods. There, the preservation of plant remains is remarkably good, and from these it is evident that shortly after bce the inhabitants of the valley were selecting and planting seeds of chili peppers, cotton, and one kind of squash. Most importantly, between and bce they were beginning to plant mutant forms of corn that already were showing signs of the husks characteristic of domestic corn. One of the problems complicating this question of the beginnings of early corn cultivation is related to a debate between paleobotanists on wild versus domesticated strains. One school of thought holds that the domesticated races of the plant developed from a wild ancestor. The other opinion is that there was never such a thing as wild corn, that instead corn Zea mays developed from a related grass, teosinte Zea mexicana or Euchlaena mexicana. In any event, by bce corn was present and being used as a food, and between 2, and 3, years after that it had developed rapidly as a food plant. Possibly some of this was popped, but a new element in food preparation is seen in the metates querns and manos handstones that were used to grind the corn into meal or dough. Beans appeared after bce, along with a much improved race of corn. This enormous increase in the amount of plant food available was accompanied by a remarkable shift in settlement pattern. In place of the temporary hunting camps and rock shelters, which were occupied only seasonally by small bands, semipermanent villages of pit houses were constructed on the valley floor. Increasing sedentariness is also to be seen in the remarkable bowls and globular jars painstakingly pecked from stone, for pottery was as yet unknown in Mesoamerica. In the centuries between and bce, plant domestication began in what had been hunting-gathering contexts, as on the Pacific coast of Chiapas and on the Veracruz Gulf coast and in some lacustrine settings in the Valley of Mexico. In many cases, this shift of habitat resulted in genetic improvements in the food plants. Fired clay vessels were made as early as bce in Ecuador and Colombia, and it is probable that the idea of their manufacture gradually diffused north to the increasingly sedentary peoples of Mesoamerica. The picture, then, Page 6

7 is one of growing human control over the environment through the domestication of plants; animals played a very minor role in this process, with only the dog being surely domesticated before bce. At any rate, by bce the stage was set for the adoption of a fully settled life, with many of the sedentary arts already present. The final step was taken only when native agriculture in certain especially favoured subregions became sufficiently effective to allow year-round settlement of villages. This was not the case along the alluvial lowlands of southern Mesoamerica, and it is no accident that the best evidence for the earliest permanent villages in Mesoamerica comes from the Pacific littoral of Chiapas Mexico and Guatemala, although comparable settlements also have been reported from both the Maya lowlands Belize and the Veracruz Gulf coast. From the rich lagoons and estuaries in this area, the villagers obtained shellfish, crabs, fish, and turtles. Their villages were small, with perhaps 10 to 12 thatched-roof houses arranged haphazardly. These, as in Formative cultures generally throughout Mesoamerica, represent nude females and may have had something to do with a fertility cult. The implication of the site is that, with increasing prosperity, some differentiation of a ruling class had taken place, for among the later Mesoamericans the ultimate function of a pyramid was as a final resting place for a great leader. Eventually, effective village farming with nucleated settlements occupied throughout the year appeared in the highlands. But perhaps from the very beginning of Formative life there were different cultural responses directed toward both kinds of environment. In the highlands, divided into a number of mutually contrasting environments no one of which could have provided sufficient resources for the subsistence of a single settlement, villages were presumably linked to each other symbiotically. In the lowlands, particularly in the littoral, one especially favourable environment, such as the lagoonâ estuary system, may have been so rich in resources that villages within it would have been entirely self-sufficient. In effect, the former would have resulted in a cultural integration based upon trade, while the latter would have been integrated, if at all, by a unity of likeness. The two kinds of civilization that eventually arose in each regionâ the highlands definitely urban, the lowlands less soâ reflect the same contrast. Early religious life Early religious phenomena can only be deduced from archaeological remains. It is possible, however, that terra-cotta statuettes of women were meant to represent an agricultural deity, a goddess of the crops. Two-headed figurines found at Tlatilco, a site of the late Pre-Classic, may portray a supernatural being. Clay idols of a fire god in the form of an old man with an incense burner on his back date from the same period. The first stone monument on the Mexican plateau is the pyramid of Cuicuilco, near Mexico City. In fact, it is rather a truncated cone, with a stone core; the rest is made of sun-dried brick with a stone facing. It shows the main features of the Mexican pyramids as they were developed in later times. It was doubtless a religious monument, crowned by a temple built on the terminal platform and surrounded with tombs. The building of such a structure obviously required a protracted and organized effort under the command of the priests. The final phase of the Pre-Classic cultures of the central highland forms a transition from the village to the city, from rural to urban life. This was a far-reaching social and intellectual revolution, bringing about new religious ideas together with new art forms and theocratic regimes. It is significant that Olmec statuettes have been found at Tlatilco with late Pre-Classic material. The rise of Olmec civilization It was once assumed that the Formative stage was characterized only by simple farming villages. Scholars now realize, however, that coexisting with these peasantlike cultures was a great civilization, the Olmec, that had arisen in the humid lowlands of southern Veracruz and Tabasco, in Mexico. The Olmec were perhaps the greatest sculptors of ancient Mesoamerica. Whether carving tiny jade figures or gigantic basalt monuments, they worked with a great artistry that led a number of archaeologists to doubt their considerable antiquity, although radiocarbon dates from the type site of La Venta showed that Olmec civilization was indeed Formative, its beginning dating to at least 1, years before the advent of Maya civilization. Page 7

8 Chapter 4 : Pre-Columbian era - Wikipedia Specialising in classical antiquities, Near Eastern, Biblical, Chinese, Pre-Columbian, Byzantine, Asian, African and primitive arts, the business expanded from a small shop in the Jerusalem Souq into a dealership with global reach, and a presence in most of the world's major art-buying centres. Gift of Frederick and Jan Mayer, Both male and female figures, always nude, were carved and displayed. Archaeologist Michael Snarskis believed that this example represents a prisoner destined for sacrifice. If so, the sculpture was likely commissioned by a victorious chief and displayed as a symbol of dominance. The fundamentally human character of the figure is evident in his upright pose, five-fingered hands, and ears. The face has a crocodilian protruding snout with interlocking teeth and raised nostrils, but incisions and ridges around the edges show that this is a mask. A grinning animal head positioned below the rump forms a tail and also serves as one of the tripod supports. Incised into the surface of the body are intricate patterns representing costume elements with decorative borders. The very large eyes and short, narrow snout of the mask are not naturalistic features of either crocodiles or caimans. Perhaps these traits are intended to emphasize watchfulness or vision, rather than attacking or devouring. The individual who owned the pendant was likely associated with the feline in some fashion; perhaps his alter ego or spirit companion was a jaguar, or the animal was a clan or family emblem. The pendant was probably worn as the central component of a spectacular two-tiered necklace. Both strands would have been strung with additional beads of jade or other materials. The legs are replaced by four smaller deer heads, and at the base is a flared bird tail. Encircling the deer-bird is a braided arch, and an outer frame composed of seven four-legged creatures with curly tails and birdlike heads. The pendant was made using the lost-wax casting process, which involves making a wax model of the desired object, then encasing it in clay to form a mold. Heating the mold melts the wax, and molten metal is then poured into the mold. After cooling, the clay mold is broken away. Objects produced in this manner are thus unique. Breastplate Panama, Azuero Peninsula, A. Department acquisition funds, Closely similar beings, often in dynamic poses, are painted on polychrome pottery from the same region. Long known collectively as the Crocodile God, such creatures actually combine traits from many creatures, including iguanas, sharks, and even deer. The highest ranking members of ancient Panamanian society were buried with numerous human attendants and lavish offerings. These included polychrome pottery and gold ornaments such as helmets, breastplates, wrist guards, pendants, and beaded necklaces. Other valuable materials placed in graves include turtle carapaces, stingray spines, whale teeth, shark teeth, boar tusks, carved bone, agate, quartz, emerald, and serpentine. Strauss in memory of Alan Lapiner, Stools were important symbols of rank among the pre-columbian societies of Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. The huge hands and firmly planted feet imply strength, solidity, and capacity for action. His swollen calves reflect the use of ligatures bands tied tightly below the knee and at the ankle. Amazonian peoples today use ligatures to strengthen muscles. Such creatures may represent protective spirits or alter egos. Her arms akimbo stance and facial expression project saucy confidence. Both face and body are elaborately painted, probably for a social or ritual event. This large jar may have served as a burial container for cleaned human bones, or it may have stored food and beverages for elite or ceremonial usage. The decoration, carved through the red slipped surface, is intricate. One motif consists of a vertically oriented creature with two rectangular heads and a long, slender body. The other motif incorporates a central square from which radiate two rectangular heads and two triangular heads. General acquisition funds, Architectural compounds, gardens, boats, deer hunters, and supernatural beings are all included in what may be the episodes of a mythological story. Master metalworkers from both cultures manufactured spectacular ornaments and vessels of hammered gold and silver. The numerous ethnic groups and independent political entities within these lands were not only conquered, but effectively integrated into a centrally administered political and economic system. Inca-style goods carried great prestige throughout the empire. Distinctively shaped and painted Inca ceramics were visible symbols of cultural and political affiliation. The arybalo jug is an emblematic Inca vessel form. This exceptionally large example is elaborately painted with motifs that include flamingos and insects. Used Page 8

9 for storing and serving liquids, including corn beer, arybalos functioned within a system of ritualized reciprocal obligations. At every level of government, leaders were expected to provide feasts for their subordinates, who in turn owed labor, military service, and allegiance. Corn beer was the most essential component of such feasts; serving it from a large and lavishly decorated arybalo emphasized the wealth and generosity of the Inca state. Strauss in honor of Robert Stroessner, Only nobles were permitted to wear ear ornaments. The Spanish called these nobles orejones big ears because of their stretched earlobes. This pair or ear ornaments has shafts decorated with birds and waves, while the round fronts feature male figures wearing short, wide tunics and large headdresses. The figures wear masks that dangle from hinges, suggesting that the figures are shown participating in a ritual. Funds from the Marion Hendrie estate, The colors are limited: Forms include bottles modeled as birds, animals, fruits, and human beings. Ceramic drums are quite rare. An animal skin was stretched over the large mouth of the vessel, which would have been played in an inverted position. Later Nasca decorated pottery has painted rather than incised outlines and a much wider range of slip colors. Gift of Rose Kushei, Usually manufactured with fine white clay, Recuay vessels were painted with red, orange and black slip Additional patterns were created after firing by painting with a resist material, then smoking over a fire. Fancy Recuay vessels were often modeled in the form of animals of people, or as multifigural scenes. This bottle depicts an event centered on a male figure whose importance is signaled by his frontal pose, scepter, patterned tunic, elaborate headgear, and jewelry. He is flanked on either side by cup-bearing female attendants. The geometric painted patterns below the figures probably represent the decorated walls of the structure in which the scene occurs. New World Department Volunteer Fundraiser, Later, the Toltecs and Aztecs of central Mexico carved great serpent heads to flank pyramid staircases. This head most closely resembles carved serpent heads now displayed in Teotitlan del Valle; their exact place of origin is unknown. In pre-columbian thought, snakes were associated with both the earth and the sky. Snakes often live inside holes in the ground; caves openings, considered entrances to the underworld, were often depicted as gaping serpent mouths. The sky was also conceived as a great starry serpent arched over the earth. Funds from various donors, Their sites are concentrated in the warm, humid Gulf Coast region of Mexico, although Olmec architecture, sculpture, and cave paintings are also found in central Mexico. Olmec style objects have been discovered as far south as Costa Rica. The Olmec were masterful sculptors, carving massive stone monuments such as ruler portrait heads and thrones also known as altars. They also created smaller scale works in jade and ceramic. This earthenware figure is easily recognized as Olmec by the elongated head, slanted eyes, and downturned lips. The body is sexless, with smooth, rounded limbs and small hands and feet. The pose is elegantly casual, with a slightly cocked head and asymmetrical arm and leg positions. Funds from various donors, Volunteer Endowment Fund, and department acquisition funds, The scene takes place at a noble Maya court. Inside a palace room with swagged curtains is a ruler who sits cross-legged atop a plastered bench. He leans forward, and appears to sniff a bouquet. Addressing him is a slightly smaller, younger man who touches his own shoulder in a gesture of respect. To the right of the ruler sit four profile men, while on the ground in front of the bench are an attendant and tribute goods, including sacks of cacao beans. Discretely hidden behind a partition, two beautifully garbed women look on. The secondary figure facing the ruler was likely an important courtier, probably involved in tribute collection. Page 9

10 Chapter 5 : Pre-Columbian civilizations blog.quintoapp.com Find this Pin and more on precolumbian jade by Piero Lamonica. Mexica - Xipe Totec jade mask in the Louvre, Paris. Xipe Totec was the Aztec deity of the life-cycle, agriculture and the seasons (among other things). Jadeite[ edit ] In general terms, jade refers to two distinct minerals: A general misconception is that nephrite does not naturally exist in Mesoamerica. However, the Middle Motagua River Valley area that yields jadeite also yields nephrite although Mesoamerican artisans had less interest in working nephrite. In other words, the types of trace elements and their quantities affect the overall color of the material. Translucence can vary as well, with specimens ranging from nearly clear to completely opaque. Sources in Mesoamerica[ edit ] Maya pendant in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Map showing the locations of some of the main jade, obsidian and serpentine sources in Mesoamerica The archaeological search for the Mesoamerican jade sources, which were largely lost at the time of the Maya collapse, began in when Alexander von Humboldt started his geological research in the New World. Von Humboldt sought to determine whether or not Neolithic jadeite celts excavated from European Megalithic archaeological sites like Stonehenge and Carnac shared sources with the similar looking jade celts from Mesoamerica they do not. Since the first discovery, Ridinger also discovered many varieties of Central American jadeite that had never before been seen, such as lilac jade and a variety of jadeite with pyrite inclusions. In addition, they conducted geochemical dating of several ancient Maya lode mines and alluvial sources in the mountainous areas on both sides of the Motagua. While Pool notes that "for many years, it had been suggested that there might be another source in the Balsas River valley"[ citation needed ], no such Mexican source has come to light; However, recent work has revealed that the high pressure-low temperature metamorphic rocks blueschist facies hosting jade deposits in Guatemala also outcrop as jadeite boulder bearing serpentine melange deposits at several places in Cuba and Hispaniola, where the material was exploited by the Taino and Carib cultures. Jade artifacts, mainly pointed celts, apparently stemming from these Antillean sources have been excavated as far east as Antigua in the Windward Islands. Given the scope and duration of the regional tectonic processes that created and exhumed these jade deposits, they may well extend into Chiapas as well. Art[ edit ] Jade olmec warriors mask. Jade was shaped into a variety of objects including, but not limited to, figurines, celts, ear spools circular earrings with a large hole in the center, and teeth inlays small decorative pieces inserted into the incisors. Mosaic pieces of various sizes were used to decorate belts and pectoral coverings. Jade sculpture often depicted deities, people, shamanic transformations, animals and plants, and various abstract forms. Sculptures varied in size from single beads, used for jewelry and other decorations, to large carvings, such as the 4. Jade workshop areas have been documented at two Classic Maya sites in Guatemala: The archaeological investigation of these workshops has informed researchers on how jadeite was worked in ancient Mesoamerica. Religion[ edit ] Ceremonial Olmec white?? The value of jade went beyond its material worth. Perhaps because of its color, mirroring that of water and vegetation, it was symbolically associated with life and death and therefore possessed high religious and spiritual importance. The Maya placed jade beads in the mouth of the dead. Coe has suggested that this practice relates to a sixteenth-century funerary ritual performed at the deaths of Pokom Maya lords: It takes the breath, soul or spirit. Many objects found were considered uniquely beautiful, and had been exquisitely crafted before offered as sacrifice. In addition, caches of four jade objects placed around a central element which have been found are believed to represent not only the cardinal directions, but the directional winds as well. Elite Mayas wore jade pendants that depicted "mirror gods" associated with rulership in Mesoamerica. The reflective quality of highly polished jade connected the materialty of jade to other mirrored objects, promoting its spiritual importance and aesthetic value to the Maya. The bright green varieties may have been identified with the young Maize God. The Olmec were fascinated with the unique blue jade of Guatemala and it played an important role in their rituals involving water sources. The Olmec used blue jade because it represented water, an Olmec iconography representing the Underworld. Blue also represented the blue color that snakes turn before shedding their skin; therefore, blue represents aquatic and serpentine rejuvenation. Working jade[ edit ] Olmec jade ear flares. Next to emery, jade was the hardest Page 10

11 mineral known to ancient Mesoamerica. Mesoamerican artisans also used jade tools to work other stones. Working the raw stone into a finished piece was a very labor-intensive process, often requiring repeated physical movement to shape the jade. Several of these techniques were thought to imbue pieces with religious or symbolic meaning. For instance, drilling holes into jade was thought to give a piece "life," or animate, a carving. Standing Male Figure, made of Jadeite, approximately 9cm in height, likely made in B. Chapter 6 : 8 Pre Columbian Jade Or Jadeite Beads for Sale - blog.quintoapp.com Galeria ConTici unconditionally guarantee the authenticity and condition of all items as described in perpetuity and have been legally acquired in full accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations regarding the movement and sale of antiquities. Chapter 7 : Pre-Columbian Art Denver Art Museum Since Precolumbian Jade deals with such varied aspects of jade study, it will be of interest to mineralogists, archaeoiogists, and art historians. It promises to be a major source for the study of Precolumbian cultures. Chapter 8 : Sadigh Gallery:: Pre Columbian Artifacts, Pottery, Jade Collection, Statues AM This is a group of pre Columbian/preHispanic beads all from the Tairona people of Colombia. Strand #1 is 22 inches around and made mostly of shell. 14 of the larger beads are carnelian though, and the central bead is a curled up larva made of carnelian as well. $US. Strand #2 $US. Chapter 9 : PRE-COLUMBIAN JADE MAYAN Pendant - EUR,11 PicClick IE The use of jade in Mesoamerica for symbolic and ideological ritual was highly influenced by its rarity and value among pre-columbian Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Olmec, the Maya, and the various groups in the Valley of Mexico. Page 11