Male Axe-God Half-Celt
Artist/Maker
Artist Unknown
(Artist Unknown)
Dateca. 300-900
Mediumjade
DimensionsOverall: 8 3/4 x 2 1/4 x 3/8 in. (22.2 x 5.7 x 1 cm)
ClassificationsTools and Equipment
Credit LineGift of The Rubin - Ladd Foundation
Terms
Object number2007.4.15
DescriptionThis half-celt has been sliced off of the original, in keeping with other anthropomorphic jade objects from Costa Rica. It was carved during the peak of Costa Rican jade-carving popularity and is in the form of a male axe-god deity. The upper part of the celt is a human or deity body with upraised arms, an open mouth, and an extended tongue. The deity wears a large head-dress and the head itself is set off from the rest of the celt by side notches. Many shamanic images in Costa Rican art include hands resting on the belly, which may be a reference to fertility. Jade’s color and reflective properties provided a symbolic representation of water, a basic resource controlled by each chiefdom. The celt – thought to originate as a tool for woodworking or agriculture but here elevated to a luxury status indicator – provides additional symbolism of the importance of man’s cooperation with the natural world.On View
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