[Pendant] The Maya created exquisitely carved jades. They considered jade more valuable than gold because its color symbolized water, and therefore life itself. They often placed jade in the mouths of the dead to ensure the spirit's survival.

This pendant demonstrates the craftsman's skill in combining naturalistic and stylized details. He effectively rendered his subject's strong personality, especially apparent in the determined cast of the mouth.

Courtesy of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Pendant, Maya peoples, Central America, made between 900 and 1500 A.D., jade

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