Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A beautiful stone spear blade created from a large piece of jet-black obsidian. This piece is well-crafted with knapped edges, a pointed tip, and a rounded butt end. The blade would have been secured to the end of a lengthy wooden pole with leather or textile strips. Obsidian was revered by ancient Mesoamericans as being some of the finest and sharpest material available. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 2" W x 11" H (5.1 cm x 27.9 cm); 12.25" H (31.1 cm) on included custom stand.

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. The Colima buried their dead in shaft tombs deep below their residences, alongside the remains of their ancestors. These tombs were richly furnished with ceramic figures, vessels, offerings, and precious stone items of jade and obsidian.

Provenance: ex-private Southern California, USA collection, acquired over 20 years ago

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 to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#138105

Surface wear and minor abrasions commensurate with age, small chips along edges, tip, and butt as expected, and some smooth encrustations along the verso, otherwise intact and choice. Light earthen deposits throughout.