Menu
EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBStunning Apple Green Maya Jade Effigy
Lot 73
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Categories
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,000 - $3,000
Absentee vs Live bid
Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, Lowland Maya region (likely Guatemala or Chiapas), Classic Period, ca. 250–900 CE. This expressive jadeite effigy represents a supernatural Maya figure, boldly carved with exaggerated, bulging circular eyes, deeply incised facial contours, and a notably protruding tongue — an iconographic hallmark of ritual intensity, divine speech, or aggressive transformation. The stylized features and animated form align closely with depictions of Wayob (spirit companions or shamanic alter-egos), or divine beings in ecstatic or trance-like states. Drilled horizontally and vertically for suspension. Size: .875" W x .875" H (2.2 cm x 2.2 cm)
The choice of bright green jadeite, a sacred material in Maya cosmology, further elevates the object's ritual significance. Jade was associated with fertility, breath, maize, and rulership, and was commonly reserved for elite regalia, offerings, or funerary use. Such head carvings were often used as pendants, earflare fronts, or ritual inlays. While some stylistic elements (notably the wide, circular eyes) echo depictions of the monkey scribe twins Hun Batz and Hun Chuen, the extended tongue strongly suggests an alternate divine identity — potentially related to K’awiil, the god of lightning and dynastic legitimacy, or a transforming Way spirit, invoked through shamanic ritual. The figure’s intense gaze and gestural expressiveness place it within the broader Maya visual tradition of animated portraiture and divine embodiment. Objects of this type are documented in major institutional collections, including the Museo Popol Vuh (Guatemala), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the British Museum.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Inventory notes show it was "cleaned in 2007."
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#196346Intact and choice.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Fine Arts will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please ask before bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
-
- Buyer's Premium
