*Hache votive Lot n° 38

with beautiful pure and balanced forms. Green veined and speckled jadeite. Olmec, Veracruz, Mexico, 900-600 B.C. 19.9 x 10.3 x 4 cm Provenance: former M. Hugue collection, 1968 Among the Olmecs, as among many civilizations throughout the world, jade was considered one of the most precious materials, reserved for the elite of the clan. It had healing properties and was considered a stone of longevity. Axes of this type were the object of intense trade between very distant clans, which could extend over thousands of kilometers.