Soapstone "Axe God" Figure

Soapstone "Axe God" Figure Approx. 4 1/4"long x 1 5/8" wide x 1/2" thick Strung on fine leather cord with an adjustable knot and two small coral glass beads. This is a replica of an original white serpentine original In Brian's personal collection. Hand Carved in Thailand exclusively for Beads of Paradise NYC.  I had only ever seen one Mezcala Pre-Columbian/ Pre-Hispanic stone figure (Axe God) of this particular style. The original (in my personal collection) is from the State of Guerrero, Mexico, and was purchased from an important Canadian bead collector. The figure had been confidently carved in a very linear way that I find attractive and strong in it's asymmetry. The facial expression appears that he is suppressing a smile, or deep in peaceful, blissful contemplation. Pendants like this were probably worn to represent a connection to a Patron God, much in the same way religious medals are still worn today. In several Mesoamerican Pre-Columbian Cultures, axe-like anthropomorphic pendants have been called "Axe Gods". These figures often resemble an axe head and having softly carved and expressed features of some type of Deity or human figure.