Provenance Information

Collection of Frederick R. [1928-2007] and Jan Mayer, Denver, CO, by 1984 [1]; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 2017 [1] On loan to the Denver Art Museum, 1993

Exhibition Information

"New Worlds of the Rich Coast: Ancient Costa Rican Jade and Gold from the Collection of Jan and Frederick Mayer." Utah Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, April-May, 1990., "Reading the Unwritten Past: Central American Culture before Columbus." Lamont Gallery, Frederick R. Mayer Arts Center, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH, September 18, 1992-October 25, 1992; On display in Museum's Pre-Columbian Galleries, 1993-2017

Publication Information

Keverne, Roger (editor). Jade. Van Nostrand, New York. 1991.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The Mayer collection of Costa Rican art distinguishes itself from other national and international collections for the depth and breadth of cultural and artistic styles represented therein. Assembled beginning in 1966, the objects represent the developmental arc of Costa Rican ceramics, metallurgy and stone carving and stands as the most comprehensive collection of Central American material culture outside of the region. Mr. and Mrs. Mayer began lending works in this gift to the Denver Art Museum in 1992 and since loan of this work in 1993, it has been on continuous display until 2017 in the Art of the Ancient Americas galleries. This gift complements the collection of Costa Rican material, also gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Mayer with the express purpose that the objects remain together in order for scholars to appreciate fully the development of Central American art, allow work to be put in the public domain, and facilitate further research.