**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A fine obsidian core and a shard flaked from another core, both great examples of the tool making process in Meso-America. The obsidian core exhibits an elongated and slender form with a flat base. The fluted sides taper from the base to the rounded tip. Originally the core was a cone shape, but it was then used to form smaller razor-sharp blades. The blades were created by applying pressure to the base of these cores to flake off a part of the face, which created the fluted surface seen here. The shard is an example of what these blades would look like once flaked. Obsidian was revered by ancient Mesoamericans as being some of the finest and sharpest material available, which is nicely demonstrated by the blade! Size of core: 7" L x 1.5" W (17.8 cm x 3.8 cm); blade: 4.5" L x .375" W (11.4 cm x 1 cm)

Obsidian - also known as "iztli" - fascinated the ancient Mesoamericans; the Aztecs even had a god, Tezcatlipoca, who was the Lord of the Smoking Obsidian Mirror. The shockingly sharp edges and point of this piece demonstrate its great allure. In a world without metal, this sharp quality was especially important for ceremonies of ritual bloodletting and human sacrifice. The difficult-to-obtain material came from volcanic sources in the Sierra Madre of Mexico and Guatemala, traded hundreds of miles to meet the demand for sharp cutting tools and ritual objects, and then were struck using a deer antler or small hammer stone to form blades and other shapes.

Provenance: ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA, 1950s-1960s

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#161379

Chips and loss to faces and tip of core. Blade has minor nicks. Blade comes from a different core.