MAYA PLAQUE |

Private Collection, Plantation, Florida
Fine Arts of Ancient Lands, New York (inv. no. 3709), acquired from the above in the late 1970s
Howard and Saretta Barnet, New York, acquired from the above on May 20, 1982

Excellent condition overall, intact with no breaks or repairs.Good polish, color and overall carving details.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Fine Maya jade plaques were revered jewelry items that were traded between important centers of the Maya world, from the Teotihuacan region to the Guatemalan Highlands. The 'Nebaj' plaque, found in Guatemala, defines a specific style seen in the Barnet plaque. These pendants each depict a lord seated frontally with his head in profile and engaged in a court scene. They served as portable versions of the large stone reliefs and carved altars illustrating rulers in similar postures during important events. The lord here faces to his left, with his jewelry laden arms raised in a gesture; he wears a headdress of a long-lipped creature with cascading plumage and beaded ornaments at the back. His corpulent body is subtly modelled with soft muscularity. The figure sits within a cartouche flanked by massive Jester God profiles facing outward, symbols of rulership and authority. 

Mesoamerican jade, or jadeite, is a silicate of sodium and aluminum found in parts of the Guatemalan Highlands and the Motagua River valley. The technical skill required to carve stone of this hardness is one of the outstanding aspects of Pre-Columbian lapidary art. This plaque was carved from a blue-green cobble with veins of apple-green; it is pierced laterally for suspension.

For the 'Nebaj' plaque, see Miller and Martin, eds., Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya, New York, 2004, p. 147, pl. 77; for the British Museum plaque of a seated ruler with dwarf attendant, found near Teotihuacan, see Fields and Reents-Budet, eds., Lords of Creation: the Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship, London and Los Angeles, 2005, p. 235, cat. no. 134.