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Pre-Columbian Americas Maya culture, Petén (?), Guatemala Pendant in the Form of the Sun God Late Classic period, A.D. 600–900 Jadeite H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection Indiana University Art Museum, 77.91 With a presence that belies its small size, this pendant is all the more remarkable because it was carved without metal tools. Though its hardness made it difficult to work, jadeite was considered a most precious material, valued more than gold. It was the prerogative of priests and rulers, and depictions of Maya male and female royalty in painting and sculpture frequently show them wearing jadeite jewelry, including pendants of the Sun God. |