![]() ![]() This life-sized Mayan ceremonial mask is made of Guatemalan jadeite and dates to 900 CE. Jade represented breath, life, fertility, and power to the Olmec, as well as to the Maya and Aztecs who succeeded them. These qualities appealed to the Olmec, who developed a reverence for the stone. Jadeite takes a fine polish, and its extraordinary toughness resists chipping and breaking. With its closely packed crystal lattice and strong molecular bonding, jadeite’s hardness approaches that of quartz. Pure jadeite is white, but traces of various metals that replace aluminum within the crystal lattice create a range of pleasing colors, usually, but not always, some shade of green. All Mesoamerican jadeite came from the metamorphosed serpentinite rock of southern Guatemala’s Motagua River Valley. With its greater hardness, more intensive colors, and subtle translucency, jadeite is the gemologically superior form of jade. Jadeite, or sodium aluminum silicate, is a member of the pyroxene group of inosilicates. The term “jade” refers to gem forms of two different minerals, nephrite, and jadeite. About 2000 BCE, Olmec sculptors began fashioning jade into beads, pendants, figurines, celts (ax heads), and realistic and stylistic human masks. As the Americas’ first complex, advanced society, the Olmec preceded the Maya in Mesoamerica (the anthropological region of similar cultural traditions that extends from southern Mexico to Costa Rica). The creative use of minerals in pre-Columbian times began with the Olmec fascination with jade. Among them are magnificent pieces of gold work, figurines of silver and platinum, tools of copper and bronze, turquoise mosaics, jade masks, obsidian knives, bright-red pigments of cinnabar and hematite, intricate limestone and basalt carvings, and architectural monuments that still stand today. The great pre-Columbian Native American civilizations-the Olmec, Maya, Inca, Aztec, and the gold-working cultures of Colombia-left behind as their material legacy a remarkable array of artifacts. Thank You.The Mayan “Disk of Chichen Itza,” made about 1100 CE, consists of slate, coral, shell, and inlaid turquoise its center was originally a pyrite mirror. I don’t think it’s fair to people already bidding on an item, to stop it early. When I start an auction I see it through. Please don’t ask me to stop an auction early, unless it is a Buy It Now item. I have met many nice people and have had many great conversations.The only way that I will ship internationally, is if the buyer assumes all liability. This is due to continued problems with the Global Shipping program, customs not allowing certain things and not returning them, not being able to track and insure packages to certain countries, and other problems. Thanks for looking.INTERNATIONAL BUYERS, I can unfortunately no longer ship internationally. Now it’s time for them to go to other collections. I ship everything with signature confirmation, and insurance with more expensive items.I have cherished all my artifacts for as long as I have had them. I will use a half dollar, dollar bill, and a ruler at times for size comparison only, and they are not included in this auction. I try to describe everything according to the description given to me when I purchased them, and my studies. I have studied Pre-Columbian cultures for many years and I have hundreds of books in my office. I have been a collector for over 30 years, and I have purchased hundreds of artifacts from galleries, auction houses, and private collectors and collections. All the items I sell are guaranteed as described, or you can return it for your money back. This is a nice artifact that would be a good addition for your collection.This is a great piece of history, that can now be yours. It displays very nicely with the stand that is included. It has an intricate design that I'm not sure what it represents. This ancient blade was made by the Maya and dates to 200-900 AD. Hi, I have a Mayan obsidian eccentric for sale. ![]()
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