Pre Columbian Jade Penates

diggummup

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Jul 15, 2004
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I have a thread in the What is it forum regarding some more of these pieces. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/582221-pre-columbian-artifacts-display-eagle-knight-head.html

I have a small handful of these.

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I'll get some better close up photos but for now...

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Lol yeah not much activity in this one .... even though it’s the rite forum for your pendants . I would post it in the North America forum a lot more activity and knowledgeable folks that will prob help out
 

Provenance is 50% of the piece. Stone objects are extremely hard to authenticate. The fakes are amazing.
Without provenance you have nothing. Especially with stone. Coulda been made 2,000 years ago, coulda been made 20 years ago. Stone is the hardest medium to date.
Good provenance can be the difference between a $200 piece and a $200,000 piece i.e. there's a published archaeological report with sketches of the piece when it was excavated in Mexico in 1930.
If you didn't spend a ton of money on them just have fun tracking down some experts and work on authenticating them. Buy a 10x loupe and examine them for tool marks. Some guys own those USB microscopes that plug into your computer.
Look up some antique dealers in your area or artifact galleries, Mexican art galleries etc. and I'm sure you'll find some old-timer somewhere that can take a look at them for you.
The objects in your very first picture might be Costa Rican but I don't know for sure. I've heard them described as 'death effigies' or things that were carved in the likeness of someone who passed away and kept as a memento. Maybe Mayan(?), I can't remember which culture. I mostly know Olmec. The figure on the far right doesn't look correct. Looks like tourist giftshop stuff. One spoiled apple can ruin the bunch so if one piece in a collection doesn't smell right, look hard at the rest.
The celts in your other pictures look good tho. Ceramics I don't keep up on.
 

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Provenance is good. Fake provenance is worthless. I know of at least 3 ebay sellers who have nice items but constantly make up stories with fake coa's to go with them. And for the fake arrowheads, don't even go there.

I like your pieces but would not want to collect any as they are being made en masse for the tourist trade down south of the border.
 

Very difficult to find good pre-columbian stuff on eBay. If your piece is real why sell on eBay for $500 when you can take it to Christie’s and sell it for $50,000? If it’s real, ofcourse.
 

Very difficult to find good pre-columbian stuff on eBay. If your piece is real why sell on eBay for $500 when you can take it to Christie’s and sell it for $50,000? If it’s real, ofcourse.
I understand. It's good that I don't have any money in these, at this point they were free, since I sold a German Stein from that same sale for $200. I found a place locally that can test a couple pieces (none on this thread). Just haven't heard back yet. Any ideas on the cost of a TL test? Does $275 sound good? What about an SEM analysis?
 

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I hope you find out soon. I like the looks of your pieces.
 

I hope you find out soon. I like the looks of your pieces.
As compared to this piece that I recently picked up a couple weeks ago. I think it's a fake. Mainly the applied looking "patina" and sharp features on the face. But it's cool looking, lol.

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I've been busy on a large project so no updates on the other items yet. I sent a couple emails out. It seems most of my emails to anywhere about anything go unanswered so that isn't surprising. On the back burner.
 

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