13th Apr, 2021 10:00
Out of the Ordinary - Two Day Sale - Live Online
168
CARVED OBSIDIAN SKULL
CARVED OBSIDIAN SKULL,
20th century, Mexico, hand-carved into the shape of a human skull,
20cm diameter
Obsidian was commonly used among most of the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, however, more so by the Aztecs, to whom it was embodied by Tezcatlipoca - the god of the night and the patron of kings. Obsidian was used across all walks of life, and more so death, in Aztec society. Jagged shards would adorn the Machuahitl, large wooden clubs carried by the jaguar warriors of Tenochtitlan, but would also be carried by priests in ritual sacrifices. The accounts on Tenochtitlan also describe enormous carvings of obsidian, depicting the Aztec pantheon, all of which have been lost during the fall of the city to the Spanish conquistadors in 1521.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
Sold for £750
Condition Report
No damage detected. Excellent condition
IN PERSON
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ABSENTEE BIDDING
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The amount you bid should be your maximum bid. We will bid up to that limit for you, and remember you may end up paying less than your limit, depending on other bidding on the day.
You can leave an absentee bid up to half an hour before the start of any sale. Please note when we receive two or more absentee bids for the same amount, the first bid received will be the one taken.
LEAVE COMMISSION BIDS ONLINE
If you would like to leave a commission bid on our website you can do so up until 30 minutes before the sale starts. Leaving a commission bid through sworder.co.uk is free for all registered clients. Thereafter you may register bank card details under your account in order to bid live. Click here to register an account.
BID LIVE ON sworder.co.uk
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For further instructions on registering to bid live, please click here.
TELEPHONE BIDDING
If you would like to bid by telephone please contact our team prior to the auction with your details of the lots you are interested in and your full name, address, telephone number(s) and email address. Once our team have entered your bid request you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you during the sale and one of our team will bid live with you over the phone.
Please note that we normally offer this service for lots with an estimate of £500 or higher and all telephone bid requests must be received by close of business the day before the auction.
Auction: Out of the Ordinary - Two Day Sale - Live Online, 13th Apr, 2021
Viewing
Although we are currently unable to offer general viewing of all items in our auction rooms, we are pleased to announce that selected items for this sale can be viewed by appointment on 12, 13 and 14 of April. If you would like to book a time slot to view (maximum of 10 lots), please click on the link below:
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
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Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
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To help us with your valuation please attach clear photographs of the item where possible. You can submit up to 5.
Approximate dimensions are also useful. Expect to hear from the appropriate valuer as soon as possible.
