RITUAL TAIRONA AXE IN POLISHED BLACK STONE. Ca. 1400 - 800 BC. A ceremonial Tairona axe, hand-carved from a mottled black stone. The blade is flared with a point in the lower part. The thick handle is curved and decorated with incised lines. When gripped, the index finger rests comfortably and securely under the projecting shoulder. The black hues of the stone symbolise fertility, and this blade likely served a ritualistic rather than practical purpose, possibly being buried with the deceased. Size: 160mm x 40mm; Weight: 335g Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014; Ex. Lance Entwistle; previously with Jean-Paul Barbier Mueller, Geneva (MBM inv. No. 4272). This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.