With stylized abstraction, this superb carved jade represents a fierce snarling jaguar head. Throughout Ancient America, the jaguar was worshipped as a God, a sacred symbol of power and regality. Among the peoples of Costa Rica, a ceremonial mace head represented worldly status and authority. Derived from a weapon of war, carried atop a staff, like a scepter or a royal flail, these mace heads identified clans or individuals of importance. One look at this splendid jade will assure us that it was the insignia of a high-ranking person or group. Even in a world with different priorities, it radiates an aura of strength and authority that is unmistakable.