He pointed to the book Faking Ancient Mesoamerica (Nancy l. He alleges the obsidian monkey vase is also a fake. This supposition was presented by Marc Zender, from the Department of Anthropology at the Tulane University, at the 2016 Annual Maya at the Playa Conference. Some suggest because Boban was aware of several fake obsidian vases and idols coming from the small town of San Juan Teotihuacan, that the monkey obsidian vase is a fake, too. He even named several forgers and concluded that “all obsidian objects with body, arms and legs can be considered fake.” ( Smithsonian archives, SIA RU 7084, Walsh 2004) Suggesting a Fake Boban shared his knowledge of Mexican lapidaries who made fake antiques. When Boban began negotiations to sell part of his collection to the Smithsonian, he corresponded with curator William Henry Holmes (1846-1933), about fakes and counterfeiters. From there three engravings were produced and illustrated Eugène Boban’s article published in 1885 in the journal Revue d’Ethnographie. The obsidian monkey vase was photographed while at the doctor’s office. The story is told by French collector and archeologist Eugène Boban (1834-1908), who saw the vase at Lucio’s house, and who may have done the appraisal (ibid. II), who had acquired it through one of his patients, originally found at a hacienda near Texcoco. It was sold to the MNA by a doctor named Raphael Lucio in 1876 (catalog item #127 of Vol. The vessel came to the National Museum in 1880 and was cataloged as having come from an ancient tomb. The National Museum Pin the image above to save this information for later. The Obsidian Monkey vase was mentioned in the museum’s first catalog in 1882. It was miraculously recovered three years later and returned to the museum (LA Times, June 15, 1989). ![]() ![]() This Obsidian Monkey vase was among 124 items stolen from the National Museum of Anthropology on Christmas Eve 1985 (NY Times, Dec 27, 1985). He is also associated with spider and howler monkeys. He was able to give life to the planet earth. The people believed the god produced the wind by breathing through this mas. It was the domain of Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl, the snake-bird deity, identified by a mask in the shape of a beak that covered the lower part of its face. Per the museum’s exhibition label, “the monkey is associated with the Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl deity, as well as black rain clouds.” The wind was one of the original elements that participated in the creation of the universe. In the museum’s 2010 printed guide, the photograph legend calls it a pregnant monkey. It depicts a stylized charming little monkey holding its tail with both hands, believed to be a representation of a spider monkey. The vase is finely carved and polished to a mirror finish. It is a vessel made from a singular piece of obsidian, measuring six inches tall. The Obsidian Monkey Vase is featured under the Mexica collections (catalog number 11.0-03514). Side view of the Obsidian Monkey Vase in the National Museum of Anthropology. Texcoco was a major Aztec city on the eastern shores of Lake Texcoco, south of Teotihuacan. The vase is reportedly from Texcoco, a city and municipality in the State of Mexico, 25 km northeast of Mexico City. The Obsidian Monkey Vase is considered a masterpiece of Aztec stoneworkers. These were to be used in everyday life and ceremonial affairs and were valued for their sharp edges. It was worked at the obsidian stone workshops in Teotihuacan and was made into blades and eccentrics (non-tool forms). This is where the famous monumental Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon are located, just outside today’s Mexico City. Obsidian was brought into the ancient city of Teotihuacan. On exhibit are natural obsidian nodule cores and long blades knapped off the nodules. ![]() There are many obsidian carved blades and artifacts within the museum collections. What is obsidian? It is a natural hard volcanic glass that was used as early as 2,500 BC for arrowheads and ceremonial blades. This is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico, renowned for preserving Mexico’s indigenous legacy. The Obsidian Monkey Vase is located in the Mexica (Aztec) Room in the National Museum of Anthropology (MNA) in Mexico City. Front view of the Obsidian Monkey Vase in the National Museum of Anthropology.
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