maya eccentric flint, Late Classic, ca. A.D. 550-950

the finely knapped ceremonial scepter of K'awiil, God K, the symbol of royal authority with diagnostic bifurcated smoking tube from the forehead, a head of K'awiil falling forward from the torso, and with tapering, finely serrated head crests and backrack; in brown chert. 

Emile Deletaille, acquired in the mid 1970's

Overall excellent; no repairs, only small loss to projection mid way on headdress.
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The God K scepter, with its dramatic silhouette, is one of the most important accession accoutrements for royal Maya ceremonies. God K is a composite human figure with a serpent foot; the forked elements may refer to the long-lipped monster. The stone itself was believed to be the incarnation of lightening. Eccentric flints are placed in dedicatory caches in buildings and under stelae along with bloodletting implements such as stingray spines and precious jade and shell. The art of flint knapping was an ancient skill; craftsmen at Copan and other southern regions were the most adept at mastering the technique of flaking the brittle stone with an antler. These abstract ritual objects embody mythology, ancient technology and iconography. For two closely related examples at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., see Miller and Martin (2004:151, pls. 81, 82).