An Avian Axe God Pendant Costa Rica, c. 300 – 700 AD Hefty dark blue-green speckled jade in form of the Avian Axe God with a large beak, wings folded in, drilled eyes and groove on forehead for inlay, tufts at top of head. In excellent condition. Provenance: Private collection, Atlanta, GA Enrique Vargas Alfaro, 1960s. Mr. Alfaro was the source of highest quality Pre-Columbian art sold to prestigious collections such as Andre Emmerich, Morton D. May, Frederick and Jan Mayer, and William C. and Carol W. Thibodeaux. Artworks listing him as provenance appear in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, The Denver Art Museum, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Enrique was the grandson of Anastasio Alfaro (1865-1951), archaeologist, geologist, ethnographer, explorer and writer -- an important personality in the cultural development of Costa Rica. He was a member of the board at the National Museum of Costa Rica and author of Antigüedades en Costa Rica (1892). Height: 7 ¼ inches HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved