Lot 2

Large Olmec Jadeite Ritual Palette, Motagua Valley Stone

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Large Olmec Jadeite Ritual Palette, Motagua Valley Stone

Estimate: $6,000 - $9,000

Starting Bid: $3,000

(0 Bids)

by Artemis Fine Arts
June 11, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Pre-Columbian, México or Guatemala, Olmec., ca. 1000 - 500 BCE. Carved from light blue-green jadeite with warm russet veining, this handsome elongated ritual palette presents a sharply recessed central trough flanked by tapering finials, the crisp shoulders and silky polish exemplifying masterful Formative-period lapidary work. Fashioned from jadeite likely sourced from the Motagua Valley, a stone revered in Mesoamerica for its life‑giving hue and enduring toughness, the piece was shaped by pecking and painstaking abrasion, then brought to a refined luster. Its compact basin would have served to grind and present precious powders or pigments for ceremonial use - possibly aromatics or psychotropic snuffs employed by shamans - while the extended ends provide a secure grasp during handling. Size: 8.625" W x 1" H x 2.125" D (21.9 cm W x 2.5 cm H x 5.4 cm D)

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, 2025; ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, acquired between 1985 and 2003

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Item # 202482

  • Condition: Root marked surface with liberal dendrites.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $749 $25
$750 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $7,499 $250
$7,500 $14,999 $500
$15,000 + $1,000