PC109 - MUSEUM CLASS COLLECTION OF 5 ASSOCIATED LARGE INTACT PRE-COLUMBIAN OLMEC CERAMIC ROLLER STAMPS

Product Description

ITEM # 

PC109

ID

Roller Stamp

FOUND

Central America

AGE

1500 B.C. - 400 B.C.

SIZE

3.5" - 2.7" long

CONDITION

INTACT WITH MINERAL DEPOSITS.
NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION.  

NOTE

STUNNING ASSOCIATED ROLLER SET
FOUND TOGETHER.  MATCHING PATINA
AND PIGMENT WITH MINERAL DEPOSITS.
FIRST TIME WE HAVE SEEN AN ASSOCIATED
SET LIKE THIS!!!  VERY, VERY RARE.

INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX - Actual Item - One Only

Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet

Because it was the "first" Pre-Columbian culture of the region and venerated by, as well as influenced so many later Pre-Columbian civilizations, objects from the Olmec enigmatic civilization are highly prized amongst seasoned collectors.  The sudden appearance of this highly developed culture which produced the mysterious colossal stone heads, still puzzles scientists with many unanswered questions.  Where they came from and where they disappeared to remains a mystery today.  They were a legendary people even in ancient times and were revered by many Pre-Columbian cultures that followed them.  Their artifacts are in strong demand today just as much as they were in the Mayan and Aztec periods.

 Regardless of culture, this is the FIRST TIME we have encountered an ASSOCIATED SET (all found together) of Pre-Columbian seals / stamps.  In addition, each one of these is large and in superb, intact preservation.  They are from the Olmec Culture and were found in Mexico.  Olmec cylinder seals are scarce with most examples seen only in museums.  This fascinating set shows specimens of identical hues of fired clay with identical original sediment still embedded in many of the recesses.  These could have been used to stamp clay, or inked and use for body ornamentation. 

With impacted sediment and mineral patina deep in microscopic crevices - traits ONLY seen in 100% ORIGINAL AUTHENTIC SPECIMENS. 100% ORIGINAL, INTACT AND WITHOUT ANY REPAIR OR RESTORATION.   Includes our written unconditional lifetime certificate of GUARANTEED AUTHENTICITY.

This set is attributed to the Olmec Culture, the first complex society in Mesoamerica.  The Olmecs were an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization that once lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico.   

The Olmec are best known for the enormous helmeted heads they left behind, each carved from of a single massive rock boulder.  There is no known Pre-Columbian text that describes or mentions the reason or presence of these megalithic art structures and they have been the subject of much speculation. Some have theorized they were ballplayers but current belief is that they are portraits of rulers.  Some have even described the heads as being effigies of ancient astronauts from another galaxy.  How they were made or transported by such an early civilization, remains a complete mystery.  The heads are all unique in their facial features but all have distinct,  common elements in the helmet styles.  The Olmecs can be considered the "mother culture" for all subsequent Pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica. 

In addition to their influence as the first civilization in Mesoamerica, the Olmecs are credited, or speculatively credited, with many "firsts", including the practice of bloodletting (and perhaps human sacrifice), writing and epigraphy.  They are also credited with the invention of the concept of 'zero' and the Mesoamerican calendar, as well as the Mesoamerican ballgame and even perhaps, the compass.

The Olmec culture was first defined as an art style, and this continues to be the hallmark of the culture.  Handworks were made in a variety of media such as jade, clay, basalt, and greenstone, for example.  Many examples of Olmec art are surprisingly naturalistic.  Other art expresses fantastic anthropomorphic creatures, often highly stylized, using an iconography reflective of a religious meaning.  Their grasp of human anatomy and emotion is unrivaled by any other Pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica.