**Originally Listed At $75**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A handsome stone blade knapped from obsidian. This piece is well-crafted with knapped edges, a pointed tip, and a stemmed butt end. This example is only knapped on one side. Obsidian was revered by ancient Mesoamericans as being some of the finest and sharpest material available. Size: 1.1" W x 6.05" H (2.8 cm x 15.4 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. 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 J.G. collection, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, acquired before 1975

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#139731

Repaired from two large pieces at midsection with light adhesive residue along break line. Only knapped on one side. Light encrustation in lower profile areas.