A Rare and Exceptional Maya Jade Tubular Bead, Classic Period, ca. 500 - 800 CE

This stunning and large blue-green jade tubular bead stands as a testament to the extraordinary artistry of Classic-period Maya craftsmanship. Elegantly adorned with two sets of double ring-molded reliefs that segment its surface into harmonious divisions, the bead also boasts raised borders at each end, adding to its allure. It is drilled longitudinally for suspension, which signifies it once formed part of an elite necklace or pectoral assembly.

Among the Maya, jade ornaments were prized more highly than gold.  Its radiant green hue, associated with water, fertility, and life itself, endowed it with cosmological and spiritual significance. The stone was revered as a living entity, capable of holding the essence of breath and vitality. For Maya nobility, jade was not merely ornamental; it embodied the eternal life force, connecting its wearer to the divine and marking their status as living representatives of the gods.

The process of carving jade posed a formidable challenge due to its exceptional hardness. Without the aid of metal tools, the Maya ingeniously employed techniques such as pecking, sawing with abrasive sand and cord, and grinding with hard stones or sand. Each piece could take weeks, months, or even years to complete, requiring tremendous time, patience, and skill. This remarkable process underscores the labor-intensive effort that went into creating such an exquisite work of art.  As a bead of this scale required exceptional raw materials and significant labor to produce, the impressive size and sculptural detail of this example strongly suggest that it likely belonged to a person of high status, such as a noble or a member of royalty.

To see how such a piece would be worn, see the Maya jade plaque from the British Museum (Am1938,1021.24), where a dignitary, priest, or ruler is shown wearing a similar long tubular bead pendant as part of his ceremonial regalia.   

Medium: Jade

Dimensions: Length: 7 3/4 inches (19.68 cm)

Condition: The bead is overall intact, with a few spots of minor surface chipping.  The museum-quality custom mount highlights the bead’s dramatic visual presence. 

Provenance:  From the distinguished collection of Justin Kerr and Dicey Taylor, New York City, acquired during the 1970s and early 1980s. Kerr, celebrated for pioneering rollout photography and for creating the comprehensive Maya Vase Database, assembled many of the finest examples of Classic Maya objects during the 1970s and early 1980s. Taylor, an art historian and curator, worked closely with Kerr in cataloguing and researching the collection, and the couple became well known for their scholarship and connoisseurship in Maya art.