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Home > Art > Costa Rican Celt

Costa Rican Celt

A figure with two avian heads and hollowed-out eyes; the smaller head rests upon the larger one.
Artist

Unknown Artist

Date

600-900 CE

Medium

Blue-green jade

Object Type

Sculpture

Dimensions

H- 5 3/4 x W- 1 3/4 x D- 1 in. (14.6 x 4.4 x 2.5 cm)

Collecting Area

Pre-Columbian

Credit Line

The Jan T. and Marica Vilcek Collection

Accession Number

2005.01.1

Copyright

© The Vilcek Foundation

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animal avian bird Celt jade
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A figure with two avian heads and hollowed-out eyes; the smaller head rests upon the larger one.

About the Object

This celt, or hand axe, was carved and polished from blue-green jade to create the representation of an anthropomorphic figure with two avian (bird) heads and hollowed-out eyes. The smaller of the two birds rests upon the head of the larger one, with a long beak extending down to meet the figure’s torso. Arms/wings are indicated by diagonal cuts, while the hands face forward from the work’s body.

 

Additional Information

Since the blade of this celt is short and rounded, the stone may have been previously used or become worn away over time and recycled into this artistic piece; or, the blade may have been created specifically for ritual prestige, not intended to be used as an actual blade.

[Throckmorton Fine Art, New York, NY];

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animal avian bird Celt jade
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