Carved from a single block of jadeite in deep jungle green, this sculpture depicts a fierce, dragon-like turtle whose head rears up form a naturalistic shell. Reptilian monsters were a common motif in Mayan art, and it is very possible this figure represents a God or a protective demon. It certainly seems to be no ordinary turtle, for it radiates an aura of strenght and other-worldly magic. We are caught up in its mystery and its beauty, wondering what it meant to those who beheld it in antiquity. L. 13cm(5 1/8IN)