47035

Mixtec Gold Pendant Deity

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:12,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
Mixtec Gold Pendant Deity
<B>Pendant Deity</B></I><BR>Mixtec<BR>A.D. 1000 - 1300<BR>Gold, Weight 14 grams<BR>Height 2 1/4 in. Width 1 1/2 in.<BR><BR>The ancient ancestry of New World gold-working traditions is embodied in this piece. Its combination of a cast, sculptural upper portion with the flanged lower section flattened by hammering can be traced back through Costa Rican and Panamanian traditions to even earlier prototypes in Colombia. Another element that appears centuries earlier in Colombia is the so-called false-filigree, in which the thin string-like elements seen here in the headdress are modeled in wax and are integral with the cast rather being a filigree made from drawn wire.<BR>As is often the case, exact identification of Late Classic Central Mexican deities is elusive. Here, the headdress does not provide information in spite of its elegance and technical prowess. The deity is shown as a half-figure with hands on the abdomen and a single-strand bead necklace centered with a celt-shaped pendant. Claw-like ear pendants are visible between face and headdress. The powerful Roman-nosed face compels attention. The softening surface wear on the hands indicates considerable ancient use of the pendant. On the hammer-finished flanges, the proper left has a large, anciently-added patch. A cracked separation at the neck has been repaired, but the condition is still fragile.<BR><BR>Provenance<BR>David Bernstein, New York<BR><BR> <BR><BR><B>Important noti