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Pair of Matched Pendants

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Pair of Matched Pendants

Artist:
Culture: Maya
Period: Pre-Columbian
Date: ca. A.D. 600
Medium: Shell with jade inlay
Dimensions:
each:
height: 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
width: 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, Bequest of Elizabeth Huth Coates
Object number: 97.1.20.a-b
Provenance: with Alphonse Jax, New York City, NY, by 1979; by purchase by Elizabeth Huth Coates (nee Maddux) (1909-1996), San Antonio, TX, 1979;by bequest of the Elizabeth Huth Coates estate to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 1997
Label Text
This pair of matching shell pendants were carved into the likeness of the Underworld deity known as God N. An elderly deity, artist-scribe, and patron of rain and thunder, he plays an essential role as a bearer of the universe. God N is often depicted wearing a headdress made of a net-like textile which can be seen here. The use of jade for earrings adds an additional dimension to this set. With only one known natural source in all of Mesoamerica, jade was a valued resource. The Maya linked jade and its green color with fertility and rebirth. The use of jade here may reference God N’s role as a patron of rain and its importance in sustaining the earth. (Bernadette Cap)

On view


The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.



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