An exceptional pair of Maya Jade Pair of Earflare Frontals, Late Preclassic - Classic Period, ca. 200 - 600 CE

An exceptional pair of earflares frontals hand-carved from deep emerald-green jadeite and polished to a high luster. Each piece displays a circular motif in each corner, joined by a raised border framing the large central aperture. The reverse is sculpted with two short projecting extensions, each drilled with small perforations that were used to thread suspension cords or counterweights behind the earlobe, securing the ornament in place behind the earlobe when worn. 

Earflare frontals such as these formed the visible face of elaborate composite ornaments worn by high-ranking individuals. The frontal element was set into the earlobe, while beads or plugs behind the ear stabilized the assembly. The luminous green jadeite was valued for its rarity and symbolic association with fertility, life force, and divine power.

In Maya thought, openings and passages, caves, holes, and orifices were seen as portals into the supernatural world. Earflares represented small-scale versions of these sacred gateways: jewel-lined conduits linking the body to divine realms. Hieroglyphic inscriptions even depict the act of dying as a serpent entering an earflare, symbolizing the soul’s passage. The high polish achieved by Maya lapidaries causes jade to emit a bright, metallic ring when struck, a rare sound in a non-metal culture, and imbued with spiritual resonance. Wearing jade at the ears thus transformed hearing itself into a sacred experience, marking the wearer as one touched by the divine.

For a related example, see Metropolitan Museum of Art accession number 1989.314.15a, b.

Medium:  Jadeite

Dimensions:  2 x 2 inches (5.08 cm)

Condition:  The ear flares are intact and in excellent condition.  They have been mounted on a museum-quality custom mount.

Provenance:  Collection of Justin Kerr and Dicey Taylor, NYC. Acquired between 1970 and the 1980s.

Justin Kerr (b. 1934) is an American photographer, researcher, and art historian best known for his groundbreaking documentation of ancient Maya ceramics and his contributions to the study of Maya iconography.

Originally trained as an engineer, Kerr developed a passion for pre-Columbian art in the 1960s and began experimenting with a custom-built cylindrical camera that allowed him to photograph Maya vases in full 360° rollouts. This innovation revolutionized Maya studies, making it possible for scholars to view continuous narrative scenes painted on ceramic vessels as the ancient artists intended.

Over several decades, Kerr systematically recorded thousands of Maya vases held in public and private collections, compiling them into the Maya Vase Database (often called the “Kerr Database”), now hosted by the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI). His work provides an essential visual corpus for research on Maya art, writing, and mythology.

Dicey Taylor (b. 1946) is an art historian and curator who has written extensively on ancient American art, particularly the Maya. A former assistant curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she co-curated The Blood of Kings: A New Interpretation of Maya Art (Kimbell Art Museum, 1986) and contributed essays to key catalogs and academic volumes on Mesoamerican art and iconography. Taylor’s research explores the social, ritual, and symbolic functions of Maya visual culture, often contextualizing the imagery documented by Kerr’s photography.

Together, Kerr and Taylor have combined technical innovation and art-historical scholarship to illuminate the sophistication of Maya painting and its mythological, political, and ceremonial meanings. Their partnership has been foundational in shaping modern understanding of Classic-period Maya art.

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