Provenance Information

(Enrique Vargas-Alfaro) [1915-2008], San Jose, Costa Rica and Atlanta, GA; Purchased by Frederick R. [1928-2007] and Jan Mayer, Denver, CO, 1979 [1]; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 2017
[1] On loan to the Denver Art Museum, 1993

Exhibition Information

On display in Museum's Pre-Columbian Galleries, 1993-2017

Publication Information

None known

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.

Provenance Information

(Enrique Vargas-Alfaro) [1915-2008], San Jose, Costa Rica and Atlanta, GA; Purchased by Frederick R. [1928-2007] and Jan Mayer, Denver, CO, 1982 [1]; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 2017
[1] On loan to the Denver Art Museum, 1992

Exhibition Information

On display in Museum's Pre-Columbian Galleries, 1992-2017

Publication Information

None known

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 1992, 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.

Provenance Information

Purchased by Joseph Cho-Yiu Law [1922-2015] and Sau Ying Loretta Law [1923-2020], Hong Kong, between late 1970s-2000; By descent, Dennis Law [b. 1947], Greenwood Village, CO; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 2020.

Exhibition Information

Oct. 2020-present, Denver Art Museum 5th floor gallery

Publication Information

N/A

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

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Acquisition of this work fills important an gap in the collection and provides the opportunity to put this object into public domain and facilitate further research,

Provenance Information

[P. C. Lu & Sons Ltd. , Hong Kong, until 1986; sold to Irving]; Florence and Herbert Irving , New York (1986–2019; donated to MMA)

Exhibition Information

None

Publication Information

None

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 object was designated as a promised gift by the Irvings in 1989.

Provenance Information

Reportedly Collection of Jorge Castillo (d. 1977), Guatemala City; Reportedly Collection of David Bramhall, New York; [Judith Small Nash, Woodstock, NY, until 1990]; Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections, New York, until 2015; Gift of Steven Kossak to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015.

Exhibition Information

None

Publication Information

None

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

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The work was reportedly in the collection of Jorge Castillo, a well-known collector of Maya art in Guatemala City who was active from the 1960s until his death in 1977. He left the majority of his collection to the Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala City, where it was catalogued between 1975 and 1978 in preparation for the formation of a museum, now known as the Museo Popol Vuh. This work was not catalogued and added to the collection of the Museo Popol Vuh, and it is possible it was sold by Castillo before he had made plans for the formation of the museum.

Judith Small Nash sold the work in 1990 to the current owner. Ms. Nash may have acquired the work from David Bramhall (and recalls that he may have acquired it from the Castillo family). Mr. Bramhall was an active dealer in the 1960s and 1970s and reportedly had a long-term relationship with the Castillo family going back to the 1950s. The Judith Small Nash Gallery was one of the leading vendors of Precolumbian and Native American from the 1960s until the owner’s retirement in the 2000s.

Among the corpus of Maya crown jewels, this work is among the top five ever found, and the only one not currently in a public collection. The work is exceptional for its relative size, the beauty of the apple-green jade (the shade most preferred by the Maya), and the outstanding sculptural qualities of the work. The richly volumetric carving sets this work apart from known, flatter compositions. This gift enhances the Metropolitan Museum’s ability to convey the splendor of Mayan royal regalia to visitors.

Provenance Information

-1967 collection of Farhadi & Anavian, New York;1967 collection of Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York (purchased by Arthur M. Sackler from Farhadi & Anavian); 1967-2001 collection of Sackler Collection at Columbia University, New York (gift of Arthur M. Sackler Collections); 2001-2014 collection of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, New York, NY (returned from Columbia University and transferred to the Sackler Foundation); 2014 collection of Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (gift of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation)

Exhibition Information

Columbia University, New York, [Sackler Collection], included in various rotating displays between 1967 and 2001

Publication Information

none

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

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Part of a larger gift from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation that, according to correspondence and documentation on file, was acquired by Dr. Sackler from Farhadi & Anavian, New York, in 1967.

Provenance Information

-1967 collection of Farhadi & Anavian, New York;1967 collection of Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York (purchased by Arthur M. Sackler from Farhadi & Anavian); 1967-2001 collection of Sackler Collection at Columbia University, New York (gift of Arthur M. Sackler Collections); 2001-2014 collection of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, New York, NY (returned from Columbia University and transferred to the Sackler Foundation); 2014 collection of Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (gift of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation)

Exhibition Information

Columbia University, New York, [Sackler Collection], included in various rotating displays between 1967 and 2001

Publication Information

none

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

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Part of a larger gift from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation that, according to correspondence and documentation on file, was acquired by Dr. Sackler from Farhadi & Anavian, New York, in 1967.

Provenance Information

n.d. - 1992 private collection; 1992 with Christie's New York, sale # 7466, lot no. 172 (on consignment from private collector); 1992 - 1995 collection of Richard J. Salisbury (d. 1995), New Jersey (purchased through Christie's); 1995 estate of Richard J. Salisbury; 1995 - 2008 collection of Jean Salisbury, Vero Beach, FL (acquired through inheritance); 2008 Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (gift of Jean Salisbury)

Exhibition Information

Christie's, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, June 4, 1992, sale no. 7466, lot #172, May 30 - June 3, 1992.

Publication Information

Christie's, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, June 4, 1992, sale no. 7746 [auction cat.]. (New York: Christie's, 1992); ref. p. 85, color illus. p. 85, lot # 172.

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

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Provenance for this object is established to before 1992, in New York, when it was sold at auction by a private collector, and purchased directly by the donor. This object complements our collection, both individually and within the unique context of the larger gift.

Provenance Information

1987 with Christie's New York, sale # 6516, lot no. 51; 1987 - 1995 collection of Richard J. Salisbury (d. 1995), New Jersey (purchased through Christie's); 1995 estate of Richard J. Salisbury; 1995 - 2008 collection of Jean Salisbury, Vero Beach, FL (acquired through inheritance); 2008 Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (gift of Jean Salisbury)

Exhibition Information

Christie's, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, December 10, 1987, sale no. 6516, lot # 51, December 5 - December 9, 1987.

Publication Information

Christie's, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, December 10, 1987, sale no. 6516 [auction cat.]. (New York: Christie's, 1987); ref. p. 34, color illus. p. 35, lot # 51.

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

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Provenance for this object is established to at least 1987, in New York, where it was sold at auction and purchased directly by the donor. This object complements our collection, both individually and within the unique context of the larger gift.

Provenance Information

1987 with Christie's New York, sale # 6516, lot no. 52; 1987 - 1995 collection of Richard J. Salisbury (d. 1995), New Jersey (purchased through Christie's); 1995 estate of Richard J. Salisbury; 1995 - 2008 collection of Jean Salisbury, Vero Beach, FL (acquired through inheritance); 2008 Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (gift of Jean Salisbury)

Exhibition Information

Christie's, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, December 10, 1987, sale no. 6516, lot # 52, December 5 - December 9, 1987.

Publication Information

Christie's, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, December 10, 1987, sale no. 6516 [auction cat.]. (New York: Christie's, 1987); ref. p. 34, color illus. p. 35, lot # 52.

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

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Provenance for this object is established to at least 1987, in New York, where it was sold at auction and purchased directly by the donor. This object complements our collection, both individually and within the unique context of the larger gift.